Please tell me it isn't true
by Lady Alyssia Lassaria
Summary: Summary Inside. NOTE: EVERYONE IS OOC, especially Brennan.NEEDS BETA
1. Why?

**Some secrets are best left alone**

(A/N: I was thinking about this story for ages and it sounded like fun to write but I didn't have a general plot until now. It's a Bones vs. Grey's Anatomy fanfic because I LOVE GA and also because it might be fun to try out. I might also do a Standoff vs. Grey's Anatomy one as well but someone has to give me a plot for that as well. I have a general one…)

**Plot:** When Meredith finds bones on her doorstep the day after she and Derek got back together, she calls her stepsister, Temperance Brennan, as she fears it is the bones of her dead sister who went missing a long time ago. Ellis Grey does not have Alzheimer's and she remarried, to Temperance's father. She is also a great mom and Meredith's not traumatised.

Disclaimer: I do not own either of these two AWESOME shows. Otherwise this disclaimer would not be here.

Chapter 1: Why?

Meredith Grey woke up to the sound of the birds chirping outside her window and the warmth of Derek's naked body next to her own naked one.

"Morning." Derek mumbled, kissing Meredith's shoulder affectionately.

"Morning. Nice night we had, wasn't it?" Meredith smiled wide as she turned over to face him, her eyes twinkling.

"It was. Do you want some breakfast?" Derek asked with a wide smile.

Meredith nodded as she walked to the bathroom she had in her room so she could have a shower before she got to work.

Unbeknownst to her, Derek had followed her into the bathroom and not until she had gotten inside the shower did she notice.

"What are you doing?" Meredith asked with a smile still on her face as Derek started to kiss her cheek.

"Taking a shower with you. Why? Don't you want me?" Derek pouted like a five year old which made Meredith laugh and close the shower door.

An hour later, Meredith and walked slowly downstairs, trying not to disturb Izzie and George who they thought were asleep.

"Too late, Mer! We're already awake!" Izzie shouted from the kitchen. She could hear the creaking of the floorboards which were quite loud.

Meredith and Derek laughed as they walked normally into the kitchen where Izzie was making cookies and George was reading a magazine.

"Can someone get the paper?" George asked with pleading eyes. He usually got it but today, he wasn't up to it.

"I'll get it. I like the morning air." Meredith smiled wide as she walked out to the hallway and through the front door.

The other three calmly talked but their chatter were shattered by a shrill scream coming from outside, from Meredith.

Derek, Izzie and George quickly looked at each other before rushing out the kitchen, out the hallway and out the front door where the spotted Meredith with a horrified look on her face, staring at a slightly bag.

Derek quickly walked towards his girlfriend and enveloped Meredith in a tight embrace, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"What is it Mer? Can you tell me?" Derek asked her gently brushed away Meredith's tears, gazing softly into her eyes which were full of terror and tears, making her look like a little girl.

Meredith buried her head in Derek's shoulder and shook her head violently.

Derek stroked her back while he gazed up at Izzie and George, silently asking either one of them to open and see what was inside the bag.

Eventually, George leaned over and hesitantly opened the flannel bag. What they saw made the three of them recoil with disgust and shock.

Inside the flannel bag was bones, slender human bones with a pretty note inside.

Derek hesitantly took the note, opened it and read it out aloud.

_To Meredith Grey_

_Pretty aren't they, Mer bear? I know whose bones they are. Do you know? I know you suspect whose they are and maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong. Come back to me, Mer bear. You'll never be hurt as I will protect you._

The four walked back inside, George taking the bag as he knew it would be useful to the police and the FBI.

Derek placed Meredith on the couch in the living room and called the hospital, more specifically, the chief.

Dr Richard Webber was about to see Ellis Grey, Meredith mother, who had married Jesse Brennan twenty six years ago, when he got Derek's phone call.

"Hello? Richard Webber speaking." Richard picked the phone up.

"Richard. How are you?" Derek pushed out a sigh of relief.

Richard instantly knew something was up. Usually it was Meredith calling him because it was Meredith home phone Derek was using.

"Good, good. I'm about to head off to Ellis and Jesse's house. Is there something wrong with Meredith?" Richard got down to his concerns.

Derek shot a look at Izzie and George, now right next to Meredith, who nodded.

"Yes. She found some bones at the front of the house just now in a bag that also had a note in it. She's in shock. I think you should tell her mother." Derek ran his hand through his usually neat hair.

Richard's smiled fell dramatically off his face. He was very protective of Meredith since she was like the daughter he never had.

"Should I tell Ellis and Jesse? They ought to know." Richard asked as he regained his smile but he was deeply concerned.

"Yeah, I think you should. After all, they are her parents per say." Derek sighed as he ran his hand through his hair again as he watched Meredith anxiously.

"I will tell them. Anyone else I should tell or call?" Richard nodded slowly.

"No. That's not my decision to make. It's Meredith's. I'll ask her when she wakes up." Derek shook his head. He respected Meredith's wishes and he knew she was a very private person plus, this was his second chance so he wasn't going to screw things up with her.

"That's fine, Derek. Bye." Richard sighed as he hung up.

Derek slowly placed the receiver in its place as he sighed loudly. He had no idea what to do. He wasn't sure what to do because this kind of situation had never occurred to him or anyone he knew before.

Derek walked over to Meredith side and kissed her hand gently.

"Meredith? Do you want me to call someone? Richard has already gone to see your mother and Jesse." Derek whispered gently.

Meredith, who by this stage was sitting up and leaning into Derek's comforting body, pulled out her mobile phone and pressed it into Derek's hand.

"C…C…Call T…T…Tempe. She'll know what to do." Meredith pushed out of her mouth, still shaking as she clutched at Derek's shirt.

Derek was puzzled. He didn't know who Tempe was but he would try and find her number in Meredith's phone. The last time he tried to got through trying to find a name in Meredith's phone, he had to shuffle through the colossal amounts of contacts she had on it.

Derek went through all 200 or so contacts on Meredith's phone and the closest thing he found to Tempe was Temperance.

"Is it Temperance you want me to call, Mer?" Derek asked gently, rubbing her back so make her feel better.

"Y...Yes." Meredith shivered as she nodded.

Derek saw the Washington D.C number and frowned. Meredith didn't know anyone in Washington D.C. Hell; he didn't know anything so he pushed that thought out of his mind. The only place he was thinking about in Washington D.C was the Smithsonian Institute but he doubted she knew anyone who worked there, right?

Derek sighed as he punched the call button and pressed Meredith's phone up to his ear, hoping Temperance would pick up her phone.

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C in the Jeffersonian…

Temperance Brennan was having a painfully annoying mental block on her book and she was almost about to chuck something.

"Easy there, Bones." Seeley Booth, her partner from the FBI, walked into her office, watching her expression closely.

"It's this annoying mental block! I have to write this novel or otherwise, my agent isn't going to be very happy about it.

Booth was about to say something when Fur Elise started playing.

Temperance bent down from her chair to pick up her phone, a present from her brother, Russ, just recently for Christmas.

"Hello? Temperance Brennan speaking. Who is this?" Temperance placed her phone to her ear, instantly curious.

"Hello? This is Derek Shepherd calling from Seattle. I'm the boyfriend of Meredith Grey…" Derek started saying but was cut off by Temperance.

"Meredith Catherine Grey, my stepsister Meredith? She told me all about you! How can I help you Derek? How is Merry?" Temperance's lips eased into a smile, Booth just gazing at her oddly.

"Um…That's what I'm calling you for. Meredith asked me to call you. She said you know what to do." Derek bit his lip. He had no idea who he was talking to.

Temperance's eyes narrowed and her smile faltered. She loved Meredith obviously. They were stepsisters but they were so close, people assumed they were biological sisters.

"What happened, Derek?" Temperance's voice was filled with fear, something Booth had never heard in her voice before.

Derek sighed as he rubbed Meredith's shaking shoulders.

"Meredith found bones in a flannel bag out the front of her house this morning. It had a note. It looks like it was from someone she knew very closely. She hadn't told me what she has to do with you, or what you do." Derek replied slowly. He hated to see Meredith this way.

Temperance sucked in a breath sharply, making Booth watch her carefully.

"I am Temperance Joy Brennan, the daughter of Jesse Brennan. You know my father married her mother, Ellis Grey; twenty six years ago so therefore, Meredith and I are stepsisters. I am a forensic anthropologist, a person who deals with bones and that kind of thing. Should I come over to Seattle?" Temperance explained softly. She could hear the fear in Derek's voice.

Hearing that, Meredith took her phone off Derek.

"Tempe? Tempe?" Meredith whispered fearfully.

Booth watched Temperance as her breathe hiked after hearing Meredith's fearful and pained voice.

"Oh Merry! What has happened to you?" Temperance whispered gently and lovingly with a dash of fear mixed in.

"Please come, Tempe. I don't know what to do!" Meredith whispered again, her fear too much for her to cope with.

"I'll be there as soon as I get a flight, Merry. Hold on!" Temperance vowed. It hurt her to hear Meredith so fearful.

Temperance hung up, threw her phone in her bag, swung her bag around her shoulder and proceeded to walk out but not before encountering Booth.

"Ok. Hold up Bones! What is going on here?" Booth sighed as he saw the pure determination on Temperance's face.

"I am getting the first plane to Seattle and I am going over there. Is it going to be any clearer?" Temperance glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

Booth shook his head as he guided Temperance to the couch and made her sit.

"Please explain this to me. I swear I heard the word stepsister." Booth sat down beside Temperance and gazed into her eyes.

At that moment, Zack Addy, Jack Hodgins and Angela Montenegro popped their heads inside the office after hearing the word stepsister.

"Did we just hear the word stepsister from your mouth, sweetie?" Angela strode in and sat down next to Temperance, Zack and Jack sitting down next to her.

"Yes. I have 2 stepsisters, 1 stepbrother, 3 half-brothers and 3 half-sisters." Temperance explained slowly as she remembered.

Booth, Angela, Jack and Zack raised their eyebrows.

"What was the thing about going to Seattle, sweetie?" Angela pressed on.

"One of my stepsisters, Meredith Grey, found a pile of bones in front of her house this morning and she was shaking and in fear. Her boyfriend, Derek Shepherd, had to call me. I am getting the next plane over to Seattle." Temperance sighed as she leaned back even further into her couch.

The others were gaping, making Temperance frown.

"What?" Temperance asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Derek Shepherd? As in **_the_** Derek Shepherd, the best neurosurgeon in the whole of America?" Booth gaped. Temperance was very well connected.

"Yeah? So?" Temperance shrugged. She didn't find that it was a big deal.

"Meredith Grey? As in **_the _**Meredith Grey, heiress to the biggest hotel empire, Paradise Floral Hotels?" Jack gaped. He only knew because he read the magazines and he had friends who wished they were dating Meredith for the very large fortune she was going to inherit.

"Yeah? She's my stepsister. Her mother, Ellis Grey, married my dad 26 years ago." Temperance shrugged nonchalantly.

This made them balk even harder.

"Ellis Grey? As in **_the _**Ellis Grey, the best neurosurgeon in the entire world?" Booth gaped even harder. This was surreal.

"You do realise, Temperance, that you're a heiress." Jack searched the Internet quickly, only to discover that news.

"What…Oh, that. Yeah, I'm the heiress of Pacific Sky people, the worlds largest shipping and cruise company." Temperance closed her eyes slowly.

This shook everyone's core.

"WHAT?!" The other four shouted loudly, making Camille Saroyan and Daniel Goodman to peer out of their offices in confusion.

"You knew and you never thought to tell anyone?" Zack gaped at his boss.

Temperance shrugged her shoulders. She was like Meredith, Elizabeth and Brian, her stepsiblings, about all this heirs and heiress hullabaloo. It was a part of their lives and it didn't really bother them.

"I am the heiress of the worlds largest shipping and cruise company, Merry is the heiress of the worlds largest hotel empire, Liz is the heiress of the worlds largest fashion industry and Brian is the heir of the worlds largest oil and mining company." Temperance explained slowly.

"How can there be so many heirs and heiresses in your family?" Angela shook her head questioningly.

"And I know you're the heir of GM, Hodgins. Heirs and heiresses know other heirs and heiresses." Temperance noted, making Hodgins startle.

At that, Booth, Zack and Angela raised their eyebrows.

"You're the heir of GM motors?" Angela turned to Jack with wide eyes filled with surprise.

By this time, Cam and Goodman had come inside of Temperance's office and they gazed at the five people who all had varying degrees of surprise, all that is save Temperance herself who looked like she was going to throw something.

"What is all this talk about heirs and heiresses?" Cam asked with a small smile.

"Hodgins is the heir of GM motors and Bones is the heir of Pacific Sky." Zack turned to explain.

Goodman and Cam's eyebrows raised a lot.

"Pacific Sky, the worlds largest shipping and cruise company?" Cam asked, trying not to feel angry at the fact that Temperance was a multi billionaire heiress to the worlds largest shipping company.

"Yes. Can I please go to Seattle now? I have a fearful stepsister over there to comfort!" Temperance was getting really annoyed. She wanted to be there with her darling stepsister Meredith who she regarded as her real sister.

"Yes but Agent Booth must accompany you." Goodman agreed grudgingly.

Temperance nodded slowly. She could handle that.

Cam, knowing that the team would be torn and broken if only Temperance and Booth went over to Seattle, chipped in.

"I think the whole team should go on this one. It could be a vacation as well as a nice change to the confines of the Jeffersonian. If only Dr Brennan could explain why we're going there." Cam put in helpfully. She wanted to be included into the tight nit group and if this trip was the only way to do so, so be it.

"My stepsister, Meredith Grey, found bones in a flannel bag this morning. It had a note inside and Meredith boyfriend, Derek Shepherd, thought it might be from someone she knew closely. Merry's shaken up badly because of this and I need to be there because she needs moral support from everyone she knows." Temperance explained, her head in her hands as she shuddered, remembering Meredith's fearful voice over the phone just minutes before.

Dr Goodman nodded and he walked to office to arrange six aeroplane tickets, return obviously, to Seattle.

There was an awkward silence after Dr Goodman walked away.

"I'll go check on the notes I was writing before." Cam excused herself from the awkward room which she knew was only awkward because she had slept with Booth and the other five, even Booth, didn't like it.

Once Cam walked away, the conversation instantly broke.

"Where are we going to stay?" Zack asked gently.

"Meredith has a house she got from her mom. Her mom lives in another house with my dad. She has heaps of rooms to spare but there is one problem." Temperance explained before biting her lip softly.

The other four looked curiously at her for a while before she explained.

"Meredith and Derek love each other to pieces and I really do mean pieces. They tend to get a little loud, trust me. I swear, they're almost on the edge of marrying but they have the issues to deal with first." Temperance explained gently and with a small laugh.

The other four nodded. They could get that immediately.

"So…I think we ought to get packing. I think there was a flight tomorrow to Seattle." Temperance swung her bag onto her shoulder once more.

Meanwhile, back in Seattle…

Meredith had stopped shaking now and she was lucid enough to talk to Derek, George and Izzie about Temperance.

"She's the heiress of Pacific Sky, just like am the heiress of Paradise Floral Hotels." Meredith explained gently.

(A/N: Everyone already knows about Meredith heiress thing so it's not such a big shock to them. The people are exactly the same as **Torn, broken and slowly repaired**, my Grey's Anatomy fanfic that starts at the end of the second season and my start of the third season.)

The other three nodded. They wanted to get an insight into Meredith's life so they knew what they were up against.

"Mer? Do you know whose bones they are in that bag?" Derek asked gently, trying not to invoke tears from her again.

Meredith looked up sharply into Derek's gentle sapphire blue eyes before curling herself into his comforting warmth.

"I think it's my sister Rory." Meredith whimpered as Derek placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as he rubbed her back.

Derek, George and Izzie now understood why Meredith was so distraught. Loosing her sisters must hang over her head every single day.

"She was only 4! I was 12 and looking after her with Russ, Liz, Brian and Tempe but we had Daniel, Natasha, Troy, Tanya, Rhiannon and Raymond to look after as well! I called Calvin, my boyfriend at the time and he said he could look after her for a while with me while I called dad. I mean Jesse my dad, not Thatcher who is my father. Anyway, after an hour, Calvin said he would take Rory down to the ice cream shop down the road and I…I said yes! I never saw Rory or Calvin after that and I feared they were dead. I told dad and he said it wasn't my fault. He explained it to mom and she started blaming me but dad defended me and he said that I wasn't to be at fault. He knew Calvin as well as I did and both mom and dad allowed me to date him. I didn't know it was going to happen! No one knew and now Rory's in a flannel bag, Derek! A damn flannel bag! I should have never trusted him, Derek! He always had an evil glint in his eyes but I never knew he was going to do that!" Meredith sobbed hysterically into Derek's chest.

Meanwhile, in the house just 2 streets from Meredith's house, the house where Ellis Grey and Jesse Brennan lived in for the past five years…

Richard was heavy at the heart as he knocked on the big rosewood door in front of him. Heavy because Meredith, the girl who he thought to be his daughter, now all grown up, was in pain.

The doors opened and Richard stepped in, knowing the customs of the household so he pulled off his shoes and placed them in the shoe rack by the side of the door before proceeding.

Maria, one of the housemaids, came to greet Richard.

"Mistress Ellis and Master Jesse are upstairs in the main living room. Shall I call them or shall I lead you up there, Mr Webber?" Maria asked with a smile.

"Lead me up, Maria. I have some grave news about Meredith." Richard nodded as he started to follow a shocked Maria upstairs.

"What about Miss Meredith? Please tell me!" Maria instantly demanded. She used to be the children's nanny but she loved Meredith the best. Everyone did.

"She found bones in front of her house this morning and she's frightfully upset, as you would." Richard explained soothingly, calming Maria down a fraction.

Maria was horrified. She had the same idea as Meredith did but dared to not tell Richard in fear of the news being true.

At long last, Richard and Maria entered the living room where Ellis and Jesse were playing a relaxing game of chess.

"Morning Richard! Fine day, isn't it?" Ellis smiled up at her former lover. She loved Jesse and for good reason.

"Yes. Fine day." Richard tried to smile but he faltered.

Jesse observed his friend closely before asking.

"Is there something wrong, Richard? You seem down on a sunny day like today! It only happens one day out of seven!" Jesse questioned carefully.

Richard wrung his hands before replying.

"It's Meredith. She found bones in a bag this morning while she got the paper. She's frightfully upset about it all. Derek had to call me." Richard explained.

Ellis and Jesse looked at each other fearfully before turning back to Richard.

"Merry believes what we all believe, darling Ellis. She feels a great burden on her shoulders and it's not fair on her for you to blame her! It's not her fault she didn't know Calvin would to that! You know it as well as I do!" Jesse chastised his wife as she looked down onto the floor.

"We lost Rory, darling! I didn't know what else to do! I feel terribly upset, though. I know I shouldn't be blaming poor Meredith for Rory's disappearance. She was only 12! She didn't know! I was selfish!" Ellis chastised herself. She really did feel that she wrongly blamed Meredith for Rory's disappearance

Jesse patted Ellis' hand gently.

"It's alright dear. She knows. Did Merry call Temperance?" Jesse soothed as he patted Ellis' hand before looking back at Richard.

Richard nodded. He knew that was probably the first thing that Meredith said for Derek to do right after Derek phoned him.

Just then, the house phone rang.

"Miss Temperance on the phone for you, Master." Maria gently handed the phone to Jesse, talking quietly.

"Temperance! Meredith called you?" Jesse smiled as he talked to his daughter from his first marriage.

"Yes dad. Is mom ok?" Temperance asked, making Booth frown.

"She's shaken up. She'll be fine. Your mother is strong, Tempe. You know that. Have you got tickets so you come down here to Seattle?" Jesse smiled as he rubbed Ellis' hand gently.

At that, Temperance winced slightly.

"I don't like the sound of that wince, Tempe. What were the conditions?" Jesse suspected something was up because of that wince.

"My entire team are coming over as well, including Cam and Booth. I've told you and mom about them both, dad." Temperance explained, slightly annoyed.

"Oh. I'm sure we have accommodation for them. I'm sure Merry will want you at her house during your stay." Jesse nodded wisely as he mouth the words Booth and Cam at a puzzled Ellis.

"Give the phone to me, Jesse." Ellis outstretched her hand at her husband.

Jesse willingly handed the phone over to his wife.

"Tempe dear? It's your mother." Ellis smiled as she talked.

"Mom! Oh mom! How long has it been?" Temperance almost squealed over the phone. She longed to see her mom again.

"Too long dear. Your father says that your entire team are coming over here to Seattle. Still on hostile terms with Cam?" Ellis smiled wide and slyly.

"Yes mom. She's being a bitch, seriously! I don't know what to do!" Temperance explained, exasperated. She really didn't know what to do.

Ellis laughed at the annoyance in Temperance's voice.

"Be a bitch back. You don't have to be the best of friends you know Tempe." Ellis advised with a wide smile.

"But she's my boss, mom! You don't have a boss!" Temperance whined, making Booth raise his eyebrows. The Bones he knew didn't whine.

"You're strong and smart, Temperance Brennan. Cam is making up for the power she doesn't have because she has come in the awkward time where everyone knows their place and she's just a piece of extra wood which you can't fit in anywhere. Make her fit or chuck her out, Tempe. You know how to do it." Ellis advised with a wide smile pasted on her face.

Temperance sighed loudly.

"Alright mom. Even though I hate the idea, ok. I'll see you…umm…tomorrow, hopefully!" Temperance smiled as she fiddled around with her diary, trying to find out when she arrived in Seattle, only to find out that she didn't know.

Ellis Grey-Brennan placed the phone down with a smile.

"Tempe was bitching about Cam and I don't blame her. She almost sounds like Miranda Bailey by the description she gives!" Ellis laughed which made Jesse and Richard smile softly.

"I suppose we have to wait until Tempe comes over to see if it is actually Rory's bones and then, if it is, how she died." Jesse smiled gently as he entwined his fingers with Ellis'.

"Until tomorrow." Richard smiled before he walked downstairs and out of the door, out into the world.


	2. Absence makes the heart grow fo

Disclaimer: I can't be stuffed to fabricate enough that I don't own either one of Bones or Grey's Anatomy, the two best shows in my eyes! So, I don't own Grey's Anatomy or Bones.

Chapter 2: Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Two days after the horrific discovery, Booth, Temperance and her team touched down at Seattle airport, not expecting anyone to greet them.

But, once they got to the area where people greeted their relatives and friends, a large flashing noise was heard and cameras were on a huge frenzy.

"What the hell?" Booth was confused. Never in his life did he expect paparazzi to be at the airport.

"I got used to it when I was 12…Oh! Merry!" Temperance shrugged before she spotted Meredith and started running towards her.

Booth, Angela, Jack, Zack and Cam walked towards where Temperance was hugged a petite honey blonde haired woman who was slightly smaller than herself.

"Tempe! How long has it been?" Meredith chocked out, tears in her eyes.

"Too long Merry, Too long." Temperance kissed Meredith's cheeks warmly.

Temperance then turned to face Derek who had his arm wrapped around Meredith's waist protectively.

"Derek Shepherd. We meet at last." Temperance stuck out her hand and Derek took it readily and with a smile.

"Likewise." Derek smiled, grateful the worlds most renown anthropologist had just flown down to see the bones but then again, she was Meredith's stepsister who loved her like a true sister.

Temperance then saw a small group around Meredith and Derek.

"This is Isobel 'Izzie' Stevens, George O'Malley, Cristina Yang and Alex Karev…Have I missed anyone?" Meredith pointed to each person in turn.

Temperance smiled at each person and each person smiled back.

"Ok. This is Agent Seeley Booth from the FBI, Angela Montenegro, Zack Addy, Jack Hodgins and Camille 'Cam' Saroyan." Temperance introduced everyone in her team in turn.

Everyone talked rapidly about absolutely everything and Booth was surprised while Temperance talked. She was talking happily and very fast but still, Meredith understood every single word and smiled.

"Mom and dad's house is two streets away so some people can stay there. Tempe, you and Booth have to stay at my house." Meredith announced, holding Temperance's hands protectively.

"What about your urges Mer?" Temperance giggled like a schoolgirl.

"We still have Derek's trailer. It's so beautiful and no one but us and Addison know the location of it." Meredith whispered softly.

"Alright then. Sounds nice. Angela, you and Hodgins can come too." Temperance turned to face Angela with a smile.

Angela was startled. She had never seen Brennan so happy but there she was, like a person on cloud nine and higher.

"Sure thing sweetie." Angela smiled. She placed the issue on the fact that Brennan hadn't see her stepsister in many years and was now delighted to see her, holding hands with her was a sure sign of it.

Booth was startled. He had never seen Temperance smile so wide and so publicly but there she was, smiling as hard as she could and her eyes shining.

Cam was also confused. She had always seen Temperance Brennan as cold, hard but right now, in front of her, Temperance was like a girl in a candy shop, wanting to buy everything with the pocket money she had saved.

"I still have the Hummer Grandma Kelly gave me so you guys can put your stuff and still be comfortable." Meredith explained happily. She felt comforted with Temperance there with her in Seattle.

All ten of them walked outside to see a massive Hummer H2 in front a menagerie of cars.

"We all took like a car between pairs so we have like 4 cars." Meredith shrugged as the people in Temperance's team gaped.

Booth, Angela, Hodgins, Cam, Zack and Temperance got inside of the massive Hummer after placing all their stuff in the back, surprised at how comfortable they were and at how easily the stuff fit in.

"Do you guys want a tour of Seattle Grace? We have time you know…" Meredith offered, turning around to look at the people in the back seat.

"Sure. Even thought it's a hospital, sure." Temperance smiled as she replied for the rest of the team.

It didn't take long for the Hummer to arrive at Meredith's massive townhouse which had been renovated with her parent's money.

"It's been renovated since the last time you came her. Mom and dad live two streets down from here. Their house is massive! I can't describe it!" Meredith waved her hands in the air.

Temperance and the others walked inside and they all took in the spaciousness of the house and the calm atmosphere.

"I think I'll stay at the hotel…" Cam offered softly. She didn't want to intrude on Temperance's obvious happiness.

"Me too. I actually have some friends over here so I'll stay with them." Zack noted gently. He didn't want to be in anyone's way.

Temperance, Meredith and Derek, who were obviously startled, nodded gently.   
"Izzie and George live here too but there's plenty of room." Derek continued to talk to break the obvious tension as they continued the tour of the house.

"Tempe, you can have the room across from Izzie's if you want. There are 8 other rooms so you can spread out. There's beds and stuff in them." Meredith guided everyone upstairs to see the rooms available.

(A/N: I drew a map for make it easier for myself. I can put it up if you want…)

Meredith, Derek, Izzie and George walked into their own rooms as Temperance and her team walked into the rooms they wanted.

Temperance took the room opposite Izzie's, Angela took the room in between Temperance and Meredith, Booth took the room next to Temperance and Hodgins took the room next to Izzie's.

They all found their rooms to their personal liking, even Booth.

After an hour, they all walked downstairs to join with the others after they changed clothes.

They found Meredith and Derek on the back porch, sitting on the bench swing, Derek's arm wrapped gently around Meredith's arms as she rested her head on his shoulder comfortably.

"You guys can have something to eat. I know that Izzie's making muffins and pastries in the kitchen." Meredith offered gently, not lifting her head from her comfortable and comforting spot.

Temperance nodded. She was jealous of the happiness Meredith shared with Derek but she knew, from Meredith's emails and numerous phone calls, that it wasn't the result of an overnighter (Ok, maybe it was on some levels) but something they had to get over together.

"Bren? You jealous?" Angela spotted Temperance's slightly obvious jealously.

Temperance widened her eyes in shock. She didn't realise her emotions were so obvious to her friends and the people around her.

"It's just that you looked at Meredith and Derek with envious eyes." Angela shrugged as she explained to her friend.

Temperance took Angela's arm and dragged her all the way upstairs, ignoring a startled Booth and Jack.

Once they got inside Temperance's room, Temperance jumped on her bed and sighed loudly, trying hard not to shed tears.

Angela immediately felt guilty. She could see the envy in Temperance's eyes but how much pain it caused her friend, she didn't know.

"Oh sweetie! Do you want me to get food?" Angela sat down on a chair next to the spacious double queen sized bed.

Temperance nodded, this time with tears falling from her eyes.

Angela crept her way downstairs, trying not to make much noise as Derek told his story of his and Meredith's fragile relationship and what they went through.

Unluckily, or luckily, she bumped into Meredith who had gone to the kitchen to take a pastry puff and a drink.

"Angela! What's the matter?" Meredith was surprised to see her stepsister's friend rummage around her fridge for ice cream.

"Tempe. She's crying." Angela replied in an undertone, watching Booth and Jack warily as they laughed at Derek's retelling.

Meredith's eyes narrowed but she walked back into the living room, whispering to Izzie something and then whispering something else to Derek who nodded.

Meredith returned to the kitchen with a box of tissues and Izzie as Angela pulled out a tube of cookies and cream ice cream from the freezer.

The three women walked softly upstairs and into Temperance's room where they found her on the bed, still crying.

Izzie immediately locked the door, knowing that the last thing Temperance wanted was the men walking up here and watching her cry.

Meredith instantly rushed to Temperance's side, handed her a tissue and held her gently, whispering reassuringly.

"I didn't miss the look of envy on your face, Tempe. The place Derek and I are in now didn't come immediately. It came after two long, hard years of negotiating, fighting and then, giving in. To what I understand, you're doing the first two but you're not doing the third." Meredith spoke gently, confusing Angela.

"Um… How much do you know, Meredith, not to be rude or anything…" Angela cut in gently. She was totally clueless in this conversation.

"Temperance sends me daily emails about her and Booth. You've noticed that, undoubtedly, being the kind, perceptive person you are. It wasn't long before it took me and Izzie here to realise that Tempe had a major problem on her hands. You know as well as well as I do that Tempe is strong willed and fiercely independent but when it comes to her emotions, she is clueless even more than the rest of us because she hides them so many times, it gets confusing." Meredith smiled, kissing Temperance's forehead as she explained it all to make it easier for Angela to understand.

Angela nodded. She could understand perfectly. It all fell into place why Temperance was so confused and crying right now.

"I'm not all the different. I'm in love with Jack Hodgins but I can't fess up either before I get concrete proof." Angela confessed, getting soft nods from both Meredith and Izzie.

"Derek's actually my boss' boss. I didn't know that until _after _I slept with him." Meredith chuckled gently, making Angela raise her eyebrows.

There was a moment of gently but not awkward silence.

"Why don't we go down to the pier? Today's a nice day and it might not be a bad idea." Meredith offered. She loved ferryboats and she though Temperance might like them as much as she and Derek did.

The other three agreed, even Temperance which was surprising.

"Great! I'll go pick out a car and I'll tell Derek." Meredith smiled wide as she kissed Temperance once more on the forehead before exiting the room.

Ten minutes later, the four women were at the pier, watching the world go by as they sat on the bench in front of where Meredith had parked the car.

"I like the ferryboats. They're so nice and calm." Temperance admitted as they gazed over the pier without a word passed.

The other three nodded. No one had to say anything and they didn't.

Truthfully, Angela thought she did as well which was nice.

"Izzie admits she thought Meredith and Derek's obsession with ferryboats was a bit weird at the start but now Izzie is taking a fancy to the ferryboats." Izzie admitted, giggling slightly.

Izzie's weird speech made the other three stare at her oddly, making Izzie burst out laughing at them.

"Please don't tell Meredith about the third person thingie. Oh crap…!" Meredith started to say before she realised what she was saying.

That made all four of them bursting out laughing. They really couldn't help it. The third person thingie was actually funny and it couldn't be avoided.

The three men found them that way, actually four if you counted Alex who had tagged along, laughing hysterically about something they couldn't figure.

"Ok… I think I need to take my hysterical girlfriend back home." Derek was a little bewildered to see the four women laughing so hard.

That made Meredith glare angrily at Derek, making everyone thankful they weren't on the receiving end of that stare.

"I'm not hysterical. We had to get out of the house for a while and the ferryboats are infectious." Meredith replied smartly, casting a withering glance at Derek but only half meaning it which Derek knew.

"Sure you did, Mer." Derek chuckled as he rolled his eyes playfully.

Booth was watching the playful banter pass between Meredith and Derek a little enviously. He couldn't explain it. He was just envious that he wasn't happy in his life but then again, maybe they deserved it after going through everything they went through with the divorce and things like that.

Everyone noticed Booth's envy just like they did with Temperance's but this time, Temperance herself didn't notice. She was too busy watching the ferryboats and crying silently. It wasn't until Angela turned around to face her friend did anyone notice her crying.

"Oh my god! Temperance! What's the matter?" Angela asked frantically of her friend, feeling scared as she watched the tears roll down.

Temperance shook her head, feeling self conscious as everyone's eyes turned to her, even Booth. She didn't want Booth to know her personal fight.

_He'd never feel the same way. But Meredith, Izzie and Angela says he does! Ugh! I don't know what to do anymore. This feels sooo hopeless! _Temperance thought as she wiped away her tears.

_Out of **all **the times that Bren's ignorant of something, this one takes the cake. _Angela rolled her eyes but she got worried over her friend none the less.

Luckily, Meredith took control of things once more.

"Why don't we all go to Seattle Grace? I'm pretty sure that Derek needs to pick up some paperwork." Meredith announced, turning smugly at Derek.

Derek nodded carefully. He actually did have paperwork he had to pick up.

They got to Seattle Grace in record time as they went when there was minimal traffic which said something.

Everyone in the group who worked at SGH, save Meredith, said their excuses before rushing off, all promising to come back to the front desk at 8pm, 4 hours later.

"I've got the day off and so do the others but we love the hospital because it's so addicting. Also, we know the hospital would crumble without us. Mind you, I got a $1 million restraining order on the hospital because of one of the things Uncle Richard promised everyone that I would be safe and happy." Meredith explained with a smile as they walked to the elevators.

One they boarded the elevators, Meredith discovered Addison was inside of them as well, not that she was complaining.

"Addison! It's your day off!" Meredith was surprised to see her boyfriend's ex-wife in the same elevator as her.

Addison smiled ruefully. She had the same excuse as everyone else.

"I was called back, just as I was going to get coffee." Addison explained with a soft smile. She remained being friends even after she found out Meredith had sex with Derek at the prom. It wasn't something you could point the finger at.

Meredith smiled softly back. She knew Addison's reasoning for being her friend even after the prom. No one could be blamed, even if you wanted to.

"This is Temperance Brennan, my stepsister, Special Agent Seeley Booth, Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins. The other two of their team, Zack Addy and Camille Saroyan, aren't staying with us, but they will help Temperance and her team." Meredith made the introductions as she saw the looks everyone had on their faces of pure curiosity.

Addison greeted everyone cordially. It surprised her to know that Ellis Grey remarried and was happy but that was life.

"I'm Addison Forbes-Montgomery, the OB/GYN/Neonatal surgeon here at Seattle Grace. Derek is my ex-husband." Addison greeted herself with a smile which held no malice.

The only person who retained a straight face in Temperance's team was Temperance herself. Everyone else just balked.

"And we're friends." Addison smiled even wider, her eyes catching Meredith's which were twinkling with hidden laughter.

"Addison, stop! You're freaking them out!" Meredith was almost ready to fall over and die with laughter after seeing the expressions on their faces.

Booth was the most bewildered. He had no idea how Derek could deal with his girlfriend and his ex-wife in the same building and how on earth the two women found anything in common.

"We find heaps of things in common. In fact, we're maids of honour for each other." Addison saw the look of confusion cross Booth's face.

"Ok. I think that's enough confusing the visitors for today. I haven't even shown them anywhere!" Meredith laughed, Temperance smiling with her.

They got off on the third floor, saying their subdued goodbyes to Addison.

"How on earth can you work with Addison being Derek's ex-wife and you being Derek's girlfriend?" Angela asked the question everyone save Temperance wanted to know.

Meredith's eyes widened a little and that made Booth aware that something had happened to make her feel apprehensive.

"Derek was still married when I met him. It took up until last month for him to divorce Addison. There was a lot of adultery. Addison cheated on Derek with his best friend, Mark Sloan, who is the head of plastics here. Then, to even the score a little, Derek was my one nightstand which turned out to last longer than just one night. Trouble is he fell in love with me and visa versa. It wasn't until almost the end of last year when she did eventually turn up and on that day, Derek and I decided to make some rules to make it easier for us and to solidify our relationship into something more. We forgave each other in the end but there is always something there that we can't shake off… Oh yeah. I used to date a vet by the name of Finn Dandrige. I keep on telling Liz that he's perfect for her but she's got no time to come down since she and Brian's staying with dad and Deanna all the way in Detroit." Meredith shrugged, suggesting an underlying and ongoing problem with her relationship.

Temperance and Angela led Meredith into an on-call room which was thankfully empty.

"What's going on, Mer? You seem so shaken up by something." Temperance confronted her stepsister with firm but comforting eyes.

Meredith turned desperately to Angela's face and then to Temperance's before sighing loudly. She knew this would have to be told some day.

"IthinkI'mpregnantwithDerek'sbaby." Meredith mumbled which both Temperance and Angela translated into normal English somehow.

"Aww Mer." Temperance swooped down on her stepsister with a smile.

"He doesn't know. Oh god! He can't know! I'm screwed aren't I?" Meredith started panicking heavily in Temperance's arms.

Temperance and Angela both shook their heads. They definitely knew Derek would find out soon because he was living with Meredith and if you're living with someone, you tend to notice something was up, especially if you're pregnant.

Meredith shot the two of them a dark and malicious look which made them nod their heads after a while of gazing at her.

"Yes, you are screwed, Mer. He's going to notice. I mean, you two share a freaking room! How can he not notice?" Angela asked exasperatedly.

Meredith held her head in her hands, sighing loudly. It wasn't as if she didn't want this kid. It's just that the timing sucked, big time.

"Tell mom and dad about it…or not." Temperance started to say but she was cut off by the searing glare from Meredith.

"Oh! The best idea from Tempe! Tell mom and dad! Do you think they're **_not _**going to freak out if I tell, especially now that we think we found Rory's bones?! Gee, thanks!" Meredith snarled harshly. She wasn't feeling the best, obviously.

Angela and Temperance gazed at Meredith hesitantly. They really didn't know what to do or what to say to her. They were never pregnant before and they agreed whole-heartedly that the timing sucked.

Temperance hesitantly placed her left hand on Meredith's back and started rubbing her soothingly, making more tears to appear in Meredith's eyes.

"I'm not going to have an abortion. I'd rather die than have an abortion. I'm freaking out and that's not good for the baby. Poor, poor baby. This is the worst kind of timing there is. Why is god punishing me?" Meredith started to ramble which she did when she was nervous.

Temperance gathered her stepsister in her comforting arms and let her cry on her shoulder, ignoring Angela gaping at her.

After a while, Booth and Jack entered the room, making minimal noise so that they didn't disturb anyone, especially Meredith who was still in Tempe's arms.

"What happened?" Booth asked Angela as the three of them watched Temperance Brennan expose the other side of her, the caring sister who wanted the best for her sister who was in pain.

"You don't wanna know, seriously. This info is strictly between Bren and Meredith. They're sisters and they aren't going to say anything soon, believe me." Angela shook her head. She had sisters and brothers and she knew how protective they could be when the situation arose.

Booth and Jack nodded slowly. Booth had come from a large family and so had Jack so they both knew the strict code of sibling and family confidentiality.

"That bad huh?" Jack whispered, understanding crossing his face.

Angela simply nodded. She obviously knew what the secret was because she was in the room at the time of Meredith's announcement but she wasn't going to tell anyone else anytime soon.

"Do you wanna tell Liz, Brian, Russ, Dan, Tasha, Troy, Tanya, Rhea and Ray?" Temperance asked softly, still rocking Meredith gently.

Meredith nodded in the safety of Temperance's arms.

Temperance helped Meredith up and the two sisters started walking out of the on-call room, only to come face to face with a very concerned Addison.

"Meredith! What happened?" Addison's face showed every inch of her concern for her friend and workmate.

At that, Meredith burst into tears once more, startling Addison.

"Take us to the neonatal ward, please Addison. She needs your help." Temperance whispered to Addison as she helped her stepsister back into her arms once more, letting her cry on her shoulder again.

Addison nodded and Temperance, Angela and Meredith followed her, making Booth and Jack run after the three women.

"Nuh ah ah! You guys stay here and not one word to the others, especially Derek!" Angela warned as she saw them coming after them.

Jack was clueless to what was going on but after remembering what Addison's specialty was, Booth understood what was going on.

"Meredith's pregnant." Booth muttered under his breath.

"What was that, G-man?" Jack whipped around to face Booth.

Booth grabbed Jack and they headed to a secluded corner of the hospital.

"Meredith is pregnant. Addison's the head of Neonatal here, remember? Put two and two together and Meredith's pregnant, Derek being the father of the kids. Talk about really bad timing." Booth explained as he checked the hospital for Derek. He knew the feeling of bad timing, especially with pregnancy.

That made Booth feel guilty about leaving Parker back home in Washington D.C with Rebecca and her new boyfriend.

"Missing Parker, G-man?" Jack recognised the look of guilt pass Booth's face.

Booth nodded. He always felt guilty for leaving Parker for any length of time.

"We could always ask Meredith or someone else if we can fly him down here…" Jack suggested lightly.

Booth shrugged. Maybe he could but after this point of bad timing, he thought it was highly unlikely.

"Both Meredith and Brennan are heiresses, dude. Being an heir myself, I have some planes, some vintage cars and stuff. Maybe they have the same thing. I mean, Brennan has a silver Opel GT back home! You can't buy that on normal forensic anthropologist money, even if she is a world famous author on the side." Jack spoke realistically.

That gave Booth a brainwave but then he had another problem. Who owned the planes and where were they?

At that moment, Temperance walked up to them, a wet patch on her shoulder from where Meredith had cried her heart out.

"Hey! What are you two talking about?" Temperance saw that Booth's brows were furrowed, deep in concentration.

"G-man here is missing his little G-man. Reckon you can fly him down here?" Jack explained lightly, making Booth glare at him.

To Booth's surprise, Temperance nodded.

"Mom has some planes that can land in D.C private airport which isn't far from the Jeffersonian. It would only take 3 hours there and back." Temperance replied gently. She had taken her mother's private planes often and she liked the calm atmosphere of them.

Booth was grateful but he didn't think he was up to the task of staying awake for six hours trying to get his son.

"You don't have to go. I'll go the little G-man." Jack offered gently. He really didn't mind and besides, he liked Parker.

Suddenly, Zack and Cam appeared and they walked towards where Booth, Jack and Temperance were.

"We settled into our places. I'm staying at the Archfield which is close from here and Zack is staying at his friend's place just two streets from Meredith's house. What were we talking about?" Cam explained hastily but everyone got her words easily enough.

"We were talking about Parker and how my mom has some private jets that can only take 6 hours totally to get from here to D.C and back." Temperance supplied gently. She didn't hate Cam, she just disliked her immensely.

"I'll go. I think I'll be more valuable back in D.C than here and I don't want to be in anyone's way." Cam offered. She really wanted to go back after seeing Temperance being so different.

Temperance was taken aback by Cam selfless gesture.

"Really? Are you sure?" Temperance asked gently.

Cam nodded. She had seen proof that Booth and Temperance loved each other. Her only wish now was them to get their act together.

No one spoke until Angela had run out of the elevator and towards the group.

"Meredith is freaking out and the only person she wants is you. Derek is around the corner and he's confused. Everyone on that damn floor is confused!" Angela spoke rapidly, alarming everyone.

Temperance quickly took control but everyone who knew her saw the different, a more soft side of her control, not the cold kind of control she had when she was around back home, working where everyone thought she was comfortable.

Cam, Zack, Booth, Jack and Angela followed her to the elevator where they found Izzie, George, Alex and Cristina.

"What happened? Does anyone know? We were paged out of stuff…" Izzie started to panic. She knew something was wrong.

Temperance shook her head. She knew Meredith did not want her secret being blasted all over the hospital walls.

"Cam, go to 24 Rochdale Avenue, two streets down from Meredith's townhouse. There, pick out the peach mansion and walk through. Press the intercom and say your name and why you're there. Maria can get suspicious so call me and I'll talk to her. Ask her to lead you up to where my mother and father are and hand them the phone. They'll lend you the plane." Temperance shouted to Cam who was just outside, hesitating as the doors closed.

Cam nodded and they all watched her rush off the car park.

No one spoke the whole time of the elevator ride because it was much more easier that way and no one wanted to speak anyway.

Once they got to the neonatal ward, Izzie, George, Alex and Cristina all started talking at once and rapidly at that too.

"Where's Mer? Why are we in the neo-natal ward? What's happening?" George started asking for the confused group.

Temperance turned away to avoid their curious gazes, making them realise.

"She's pregnant, isn't she?" Cristina spoke, more of a statement than a question.

Angela nodded, watching as Addison tried her best to sooth a shaking Meredith.

Everyone watched as Temperance as she walked into the room, wrapping her arms tightly around Meredith's shaking frame, kissing her forehead gently and lovingly, whispering things that made Meredith laugh and smile.

"I've never seen Mer that happy unless she's with Derek…" Izzie commented as she watched the two sisters smile reassuringly at each other.

"Maybe that's what she needed. Someone who would love her forever and grow old with her but at the same time, someone who is family that is there for her when she fell." Angela spoke softly, watching Temperance's obvious calmness and lack of icy barriers.

Booth watched his partner and her surprising emancipation, transformed before his eyes as someone who dearly loved her stepsister like a true sibling and was willing to drop everything, even her icy barriers, for her safety.

It wasn't long before they saw Addison giving Meredith the news and by the looks on Meredith and Temperance's faces, she wasn't pregnant.

Meredith rushed out of the room and head towards the elevator, beckoning for the others to come with her so that she could explain the days events to them.

"I'm not pregnant. Addison told me it was a combination of stress and the recent events, seeing Rory's bones exposed like that." Meredith smiled wide, Temperance by her side, smiling softly.

Once the elevator reached the ground floor, Meredith rushed out and as soon as she found Derek, she hugged him tightly, startling him for a spilt second before realising what was happening and hugged her back just as tightly.

"I was worried about you! Bailey paged me and luckily, I had just finished a surgery." Derek kissed Meredith forehead gently as he placed his hands securely on her hips.

Meredith took her time placing her head in a comfortable position on Derek's chest as the others walked over, making her even more comfortable.

"I thought I was pregnant this morning and I was freaking out. I made a wet patch on Tempe's nice shirt but she said she didn't care. I went to Addison… No, shut up! She's my friend, she's our friend and she needs to be happy, just like we are. Anyway, I went to Addison and she said I need to take a week or two off work because yesterday is just the beginning of my past, our past. Calvin is a mystery I need to solve and I always did need to solve. I'm not asking you to understand everything right this moment. I just want you to understand what I need from you. Can you do that for me, Derek?" Meredith asked her boyfriend, not looking up once for fear of fear, anger, hate or malice lurking in his eyes.

Derek nodded as he placed two fingers underneath Meredith chin and forced her to look up into his eyes which were full of love and concern.

"I will do that and more. You're in pain, Mer, and you need time to heal. I don't want you to be in pain, much the same type as Temperance doesn't want you in pain." Derek assured her, kissing her gently on the forehead.

Just then, Temperance's phone went off.

"Cam?" Temperance spoke gently, not to spark any ideas in anyone's head, especially Angela's.

"Yeah. I'm with Maria and she wants to hear you before she takes me up the stairs." Cam replied gently, a slightly confused tone in her voice.

Temperance's lips turned upwards, making everyone stare confused.

"Give the phone to Maria and I'll talk to her." Temperance replied softly.

Cam handed her mobile phone to Maria.

"Miss Temperance?" Maria asked hesitantly.

Temperance was almost at the verge of crying. She hadn't heard Maria's soft, comforting voice in years and she missed it.

"Maria. Maria, it's me, Tempe." Temperance whispered as tears of joy fell.

Maria's breath hitched. She missed all of the kids she had looked after, especially Russ and Tempe because they lived so far away.

"Oh Miss Temperance! I'm so grateful that you came! The master and mistress have been worried about Miss Meredith! How is Mr Russel?" Maria exclaimed, all the fear and pain washed away.

"Russ is fine. He's in Connecticut with his girlfriend and her two daughters. Now Maria, let Cam up the stairs and into where mom and dad are. We need a jet to fly her back to Washington and someone back here." Temperance wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Right away Miss Temperance. Please visit us soon!" Maria whispered fiercely.

"I will. Can you hand the phone back to Cam now?" Temperance asked gently, pulling out her diary and writing down that she had to visit her parent's house and Booth noticed she put it down as urgent.

"Temperance? Do you want me to phone you later?" Cam asked.

"No. I'll go there directly. It's easier. Have you got your things? You do? Ok. I'll get there as fast as I can." Temperance spoke before snapping her mobile phone shut with one hand.

Temperance started to walk out the double glass doors but Meredith stopped her in her tracks by blocking her way.

"Why are we going to mom and dad's? Why is Cam at mom and dad's?" Meredith gazed deeply at her stepsister, knowing she had planned something without telling her beforehand, not that she minded all the much.

"Booth is missing his son, Parker, and we had the idea of taking one of the jets to fly him over here. Cam wants to go home so the jet can drop her off and pick Parker up." Temperance explained softly.

Meredith thought for a while before nodding softly.

"I suppose he could borrow one of them…Who's going to pick Parker up from D.C though?" Meredith nodded, staring up at Temperance's hazel eyes.

"I'll go." Angela offered gently. She had to get more stuff and she wasn't that tired to begin with.

Everyone nodded gently. No one else was up to the 12-hour trip from Seattle to D.C and back.

No one spoke as the four cars made their way to Ellis and Jesse Brennan's house.

Booth, Angela, Zack, Cam and Jack's jaws dropped as they saw the massive estate with and equally massive mansion in the middle of it.

"Welcome to Tesla Mansion. Mom and dad refurbished the whole place and they got permits to expand the place so they did." Temperance explained, quite used to the fact that her friends were gaping.

They parked the cars at the estate's private car park which was right next to the actual mansion itself and offered a fabulous view.

"This is nothing compared to Grandma Kelly's house, Tempe. Remember what she is!" Meredith laughed, making everyone save Temperance gaze oddly at her.

Temperance nodded happily. She knew the secret had to be kept. It was like Jack with his family being the single largest donor of the Jeffersonian.

Only this secret ran deeper than anyone hoped to have dreamed of and there was no way in hell any one of the people in Meredith and Tempe's family would care to divulge it willingly, unless ultimate trust was sealed.

Booth gazed at everyone in turn. He had no idea what the secret was but he knew it was family secret and heavily guarded.

The two sisters walked arm in arm to the beautifully carved rosewood door, complete with a coat of arms on the middle for all to see.

Before they started to grab for the handle however, the doors were flung open and the two sisters were pulled into a hug by a motherly looking maid.

"Miss Meredith! Miss Temperance! You two are finally here in the same house and Tesla Mansion at that too!" The woman sighed happily, fiercely hugging the two sisters and they returned it.

"Maria! I miss this place every single day that I'm in D.C. I still have the photo of you, mama, papa, me, Meredith, Russ, Lizzie, Brian, Dan, Tasha, Troy, Tanya, Ray and Rhea in front of here." Temperance admitted with a wide and happy smile gracing her lips, her eyes sparkling.

Maria gently placed a loving kiss on Temperance's forehead. She was so happy that one of the two she never saw came back but of the circumstances of it, she was frightfully unhappy of.

"Oh! Before we forget, I need you to meet some people. This is Special Agent Seeley Booth from the FBI; this is Angela Montenegro, Zack Addy and Jack Hodgins. They all work with me and you already know Cam." Temperance led Maria to each person, smiling wide as Maria looked at them critically.

Hodgins was used to a critical maid because he had one back home but Booth, Angela and Zack had never been so openly scrutinised by one person.

"If you trust them, Miss Tempe, I will trust them." Maria spoke at last, her scrutinising gaze disappearing instantly.

Temperance smiled wide. She always wanted Maria's approval for people's trust. She knew that if Maria didn't trust someone, it was wise not to trust them as Maria was a very good judge of personality.

Meredith smiled. She had the same time introducing her friends and Derek to Maria just last week and she smiled in memory of Maria raising her eyebrows critically at Derek when Meredith informed her that he was her boyfriend.

"Come. The mistress and master are waiting for you in the sitting room." Maria walked slowly up the stairs, beckoning for the others to follow her.

Booth, Angela, Zack and Jack surveyed the lavish paintings, the lavish furniture, and the lavish décor. Everything in the mansion was lavish and rightly so.

"Mama got most of her money from her job as a neurosurgeon but she gets a fair bit from grandmamma. Dad got his money from keeping in trust the family business until I become old enough. Neither mom or dad want to be in the competitive world of being bosses of the world's most affluent companies." Temperance caught the looks of awe of on friend's faces.

Finally, they reached massive rosewood double doors which almost looked like it was part of the walls until Maria reached over and opened the door.

Booth had never seen so many lavish things in one place as those in front of him, not even at the houses of high profile people and he knew quite a fair bit of high profile people.

Two massive Great Danes shattered his revering, one white with brown speckles and the other brown with a black patch, by jumping on him.

"Whoa!" Booth was stunned. He had seen some massive dogs in his days but never had he seen dogs as massive as those right in front of him.

Temperance and Meredith laughed before they spoke.

"Speckles! Patch! Come here!" Temperance laughed as she called the dogs off.

Speckles and Patch ran to Temperance and Meredith who lavished them with baby words and their undivided attention.

"Aren't you a good girl, Speckles!" Meredith cooed over Speckles, ruffling her ears happily as Speckles licked her.

"Are you a good boy, Patch? Are you? You're my baby boy!" Temperance cooed over Patch with wide, sparkling eyes as he licked her.

"Might we remind you that Patch and Speckles are our dogs, girls." A slightly stern voice cut through the happy ambience like a knife.

Everyone save Meredith and Temperance gulped. They all had a very bad feeling about this and they wanted to get out before they got into trouble.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Meredith and Temperance smiled wide in unison as they switched on a light close to them, revealing two sitting figures and Cam.

Everyone watched as Temperance and Meredith hugged two people who they assumed were their parents, Ellis and Jesse Brennan.

"My, my! Haven't you two grown!" Ellis smiled wide as she took a great big look at the two grown women in front of her.

Meredith and Temperance laughed in unison.

"We haven't grown since we graduated from high school, mom!" Temperance laughed, her eyes sparkling with sheer delight of her mother's words.

Ellis Grey-Brennan smiled back at two of her daughters. She knew that of course but she missed all of her children and it showed in her voice whenever they came to visit, especially Temperance and Russ who lived so far away.

"You always seem bigger to me. Especially with El Salvador." Ellis replied softly. She knew that the incident at El Salvador was still fresh in Temperance's mind and she wasn't wrong as she saw her wince.

Booth saw the wince and his brows furrowed deeply. No one told him about what happened to El Salvador and with the look that Temperance had on her face, she wasn't about to say.

Ellis noticed Booth's knotted brows and she bit the side of her cheek, cursing inwardly. She knew that Temperance didn't tell things to people easily and boy did she know firsthand about that!

"And we'll always be bigger than you, mama." Temperance replied with a smile pasted on her face.

Ellis cringed inwardly. When Temperance called her mama, she asked her specifically to drop the subject or she would do something drastic.

"Cam was telling us that you have a plan with one of the planes." Jesse smoothly moved onto the matter at hand, changing the subject gently.

"Yes, Temperance. Care to explain?" Meredith smiled slightly forcefully at her stepsister. She hated being kept in the dark about anything.

Temperance sighed loudly before facing her family, turning her entire back to everyone else.

"I have to make a few introductions before I go on. This is Seeley Booth of the FBI. He's my work partner. This is Angela Montenegro, Zack Addy and Jack Hodgins. They are all part of my forensic team along with Cam back home in D.C at the Jeffersonian Institute." Temperance sighed as she pointed to each person as she described them.

Booth took a long look at Ellis and Jesse Brennan. They were, after all, the most untouchable couple as well as their whole entire family.

"A pleasure to meet you all. Tempe has told us so much about you." Ellis smiled widely, noting that Booth gazed at her stepdaughter with desire and concern.

Everyone else noticed the gaze as well and sighed. Here was a couple that were thrown together but neither knew the extent of the others emotions and they were too scared to ask in fear of bruising their own pride.

"As I was saying just before, Booth is missing his son, Parker, who is back home in Washington D.C and Cam wants to go back home and we were wondering if we could borrow one of the jets." Temperance cut short the exasperated musing of the people around her.

Jesse smiled at his oblivious daughter. He often wondered when she would see outside the square of thinking she had built. It worried him sometimes.

Temperance started blankly at her parents and then turned around to face her friends to see they had bewildered and exasperated looks on their faces.

"What…?" Temperance was confused. She hadn't seen anything that would make them pull that kind of expression.

"Nothing Tempe. Nothing at all." Meredith patted her sister's back gently. She was worried because of the lack of social skills Tempe had.

"I'm so sorry about that moment, Tempe. Of course you can! I would do anything for my daughters. Who's going in the plane to bring Parker back?" Ellis smiled, gently reassuring her bewildered daughter.

Tempe broke into a wide and absolutely glowing smile as she tightly hugged her parents who gently hugged her back.

"Angela offered. Aren't you tired, Ange?" Temperance turned to her friend with a gently smile gracing her lips, something that was rare to see back home.

Angela shook her head gently. She didn't mind and seeing the gentle smile grace Tempe's lips like that, it was worth it.

"You know Bones. I have never seen a beautiful smile from you back home in D.C." Booth commented lightly, and then, regretting it immediately.

Temperance giggled gently, getting odd looks from everyone else.

"I think I've missed my family and the comfort it brings, even if there are hassles that come with it. My life is so much more than my work and when I come here, I can let my hair down, you know what I mean?" Temperance replied gently, her eyes sparkling brightly.

"Yeah. I know what you mean." Booth replied just as gently. This was a side to Temperance no one had ever seen before but it was the more humane, the more likable side of her that he liked secretly.

"Even if it rains 6 days out of seven!" Izzie laughed softly, making everyone laugh along with her. Izzie always knew how to end awkward conversations, even if it wasn't her own.

"Alright! Alright! Everyone down to car park! We have to get that plane off the ground soon and preferably tonight!" Ellis smiled as the laughter gently stopped.

Everyone practically ran down the stairs until they got down to the bottom where everyone save Temperance, Meredith, Ellis and Jesse blushed.

"Oh don't worry about it! We do it all the time." Jesse assured gently as he kissed his wife's cheek softly.

"We even slide down the banisters but Maria would kill us for that." Temperance winked cheekily as she sauntered out the door and round the corner.

When everyone got to the car park, Jesse opened the massive garage and grinned when he saw slack jaws going around.

"Is that a Ferrari?" Angela asked, her eyes sparkling. She always wanted a Ferrari but she didn't have that kind of money.

Temperance smiled as she nodded. She knew her family's wealth was overwhelming at times but she wanted her friends to understand.

"How many cars are in here?" Derek finally managed to ask. He could only compare the amount of cars in here to a car dealership and even that fell short of the truth.

"68 at last count. I think we got 10 more last week. People send them to us. We have 34 private boats, 40 private planes and 24 estates around the world. We also own a ranch down in Texas where they breed race horses." Ellis replied after a while of thinking.

Booth whistled low. Temperance's family was the most loaded family he had ever seen but it was understandable since most of them were heirs and heiresses.

"But today, I think we'll take the limo. We have 25 of them and they're not included in the car count." Jesse announced gently.

Meredith nodded happily. She loved the limos because all of them were so amazingly comfortable, most lined with leather seats and the others with varying fabrics, one of them being velvet.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Most of them had never been inside of a limo before and they probably never would after this ride.

"But what do we do with the cars?" Izzie asked, pointing to the assortment of cars parked in the car park where they had left them.

"Leave them. We'll be coming back and I've asked Maria if she and the rest of the kitchen staff if they could cook up a feats for us when we get back." Ellis replied with soft smile.

It took only 30 minutes to reach the airport and everyone could see a massive area for the planes. Some of them had the English Royal Family crest on them.

"What's with the crest?" Jack asked gently to Temperance as they walked towards the planes.

Temperance shot a look at her parents and Meredith who nodded. They knew what Jack was and they could trust him with the secret. After all, Jack's family were very close to Temperance's.

"It's our family crest on mom's side. Dad's side has a different one but some of the things we own have a new crest that has bits of mom and dad's mixed together. Search it on Internet with the words 'Lord Jesse and Lady Ellis'. That will explain a lot of things for you but you must not tell anyone else. No one must know and it has to remain that way." Temperance replied. She was still hesitant to reveal the most damning secret her family had.

Jack nodded. He knew even with the tiny hint of information, she was exposing a lot about her family and he was grateful for it. He didn't like to push her.

"We'll use one of the smaller models for this trip. Some of them carry up to 100 people and some just carry the maximum of 4. They range between those two numbers." Jesse explained as they got to the private lounge which had a door that lead directly outside.

A man followed by a woman swung the door open.

"Lady Ellis! Lord Jesse! What can we do for you today?" The man smiled wide as he kissed Ellis' hand and shook Jesse's.

"Hello to you too Adrian. One of Tempe's friends needs to borrow one of the smaller planes for a return trip to Washington D.C. I spoke to Kevin just before and he said that one of them were filled up and ready to go. Is it ready?" Ellis spoke gently, smiling at Adrian.

"Certainly. Was it Sepia you wanted?" Adrian grinned wide. He loved his job. It took him places and Ellis and Jesse were so nice. They never placed any restrictions on their employees and gave them paid leave whenever they weren't needed which was nice.

"Yes. It is stocked up and ready to go? How is Margaret by the way? You two must be thrilled when you found out she was pregnant! How far along is she now?" Ellis smiled wider.

"Yes! She sends her love, by the way. She's about 2 months now. She says the lollies you sent her really removed the vomit taste." Adrian smiled even wider. In addition to the service Ellis and Jesse provided for their employees, they also helped their families in anything, even financial aid or just a shoulder to lean on.

"How about you, Kelly? Still with Josh?" Ellis turned to the woman, smiling.

Kelly sniffled as she shook her head.

"He dumped me and took a plane for Las Vegas! He said he would find even more beautiful girls than me! He said I looked like a whore!" Kelly scrunched up her face as tears escaped her eyes.

Ellis walked over and enveloped Kelly into a warm and comforting hug, very much like a motherly hug in many respects.

"Than he wasn't worth your time. You're a beautiful, beautiful girl Kelly. He is stupid and downright idiotic to tell you those things! I'm sure you will find a man who will love you and never leave you soon enough. How dare he call you a whore! He looked like a no brainier to me when you showed me a picture. You are a stunning, clever, thoughtful woman, Kelly Sanders, and no man can tell you otherwise. Now, wipe up those tears and forget him. Have a tea with me tomorrow and I'll help you, ok?" Ellis whispered fiercely, kissing the top of Kelly's head. She hated it when her employees were unhappy.

"Yes. Thank you Lady Ellis." Kelly nodded as she wiped her tears.

"That's a good girl, Kelly. Call me Ellis. Lady Ellis is only for people I don't like or other executives. You're my friend, Kelly. Ellis will do." Ellis smiled, kissing Kelly on the cheek before releasing her.

Kelly nodded as she walked back next to Adrian who gave her a gentle hug.

"Who will be travelling tonight?" Kelly asked with a smile, making her glow.

"Angela and Cam but Cam's getting off at Washington D.C. We've organised that Booth's son, Parker, would be boarding the plane there. Have you phone Rebecca, Booth?" Temperance replied before turning to her partner.

Booth nodded. He felt a twinge of guilt that he was asking Temperance's parent's if Parker could fly to Seattle in one of their private jets but then again, they were happy to do it and they were pretty rich.

"Rebecca said she would take Parker to the airport. What time do you think the plane will land there?" Booth replied before asking no one in particular.

"Around 12. Sepia is one of the more faster models here. It is a luxury plane that was a gift to us from the Government for all he charity work we've done in the past years." Jesse replied with a grin.

Booth raised his eyebrows. For a split second, he wanted to be the one picking up Parker but he was tired and Angela did offer.

Everyone walked outside to the hanger where the technicians pulled out the fuel cord out of the plane.

"Have you got all your belongings, Cam?" Temperance asked gently.

"I have. I'll be in the lab most days so you can send stuff over if need be." Cam nodded, patting her bags lightly.

"I've only got my handbag and left the rest of my stuff back at Meredith's house. This is the first time I've been on a private jet. Is it fun?" Angela chuckled nervously. She felt she was being rude.

Temperance nodded as she smiled. She had been on Sepia before and had quite liked the ride but she felt a bit lonely because it was only her on the plane, even if she was with Kelly at the time.

"Don't mind to ask us if you're hungry. We've stocked up on food and we don't mind serving. We are after all air hosts." Kelly smiled gently.

Everyone watched as Kelly, Adrian, Angela and Cam boarded Sepia, all of them except Cam had a smile on their faces as they waved.

"See you in a couple of hours!" Angela shouted, smiling wide.

Temperance grinned wide, her eyes shining as she waved back.

After they watched the plane take off, everyone turned back to the limousines and were driven back to Ellis and Jesse's home where they took the cars and drove home.

As soon as they reached Meredith's house, they all rushed upstairs, thankful for the fact that they had 2 bathrooms while they washed.

Temperance opened the door to her room and without a second thought, she ran to her bed and she fell asleep the moment her head hit the soft pillow.


	3. What Goes Around, Comes Around

Disclaimer: As much as I wish _Grey's Anatomy _and _Bones _were mine, they aren't unless ABC (American) and Fox would sell me the rights but I doubt that would ever happen.

**UPDATE: **My Harry Potter story _Why Me _will be updated the fastest as I have made a plan put on paper. To my calculations, it will be at least 31 chapters so… maybe around 2 years will have to pass to finish it!

**A/N: **I am soooo sorry about the very slow updates! I have just entered the two most important years of my life in schooling so far (Yr 11&12) and I have (unfortunately) resolved with my brother that I will not use my computer unless it's for work purposes… Besides, I have 18 stories I work on and you could imagine the massive mental blocks which pile up! Please understand! I will review as fast as I can! Thnx from **isadora2arya**

**AO/N: **As I have highlighted in my bio on my page, I am only 16 and if this story sounds childish, that is why. I write for my entertainment only and it's hard for me if I get reviews like that. Also, I live in Australia and they have only showed the first season and I have missed a few, like the episode where Booth is with Tessa or Rebecca. I do try my hardest to make this as plausible as possible but imagination is a very powerful thing. With the one sided love thing, I totally understand even at my age. I can't write anything I don't know about. An adult can write a story about kids because they've been there but for me to write any of my fanfics, it's hard because I haven't even been through college yet. Hell, I haven't even finished high school!

**AOO/N: **For the people who have just got to this chapter and have just gone "No way are you making me read all this!", it's ok. There's a chapter summary at the end that explains everything.

Chapter 3: What goes around, comes around

The next morning, everyone was greeted with the sounds of childish squealing coming from one of them guest bedrooms and, being human beings, followed their natural curiosity and went to investigate.

Once they got to the guest room next to Booth's bedroom, they found Booth and Parker playing with a large amount of toys littered around.

"Oh. Sorry about waking you guys up." Booth noticed everyone standing at the door with small smiles on their faces.

"No, that's fine. We had to wake up anyway and besides, 4:30 is a nice time to wake up." Meredith shook her head as she leant on the doorframe, Derek's arm wrapped secure around her waist.

Temperance watched Parker run around the room with a toy plane in his hands, the scaled down model of Sepia.

"Who gave you that, Parker?" Temperance asked with a smile. She knew who had given him the model but she wanted to know if he remembered.

Parker frowned for a moment them broke into a wide grin.

"Grandma Ellis! She gave it to me as I got off the plane! We took a really long car and she gave me fudge and a hot chocolate!" Parker replied, making Booth raise his eyebrows in surprise.

"Do you want to see Grandma Ellis again?" Temperance pressed, stifling the massive urge to giggle at Booth's current expression.

"Yeah! She's nice and so is Grandpa Jesse. He gave me this robot." Parker held up a robot no one had seen before.

"Um…Does anyone want breakfast? I'm going to go down and make some." Izzie asked gently, breaking the conversation.

Everyone agreed, even an over excited Parker.

Temperance took Parker's hand, much to her team's surprise.

"Let's go down! Izzie is a great cook and if you're nice, she'll make you a cake! Do you like cakes, Parker?" Temperance asked the boy whose eyes shone brightly.

"Yes! I like cookies better but cakes are nice! Let's go, Tempe!" Parker dragged Temperance down the stairs as Booth watched the whole scene.

_I still don't know why she doesn't want kids. She's great with them! _Booth mused to himself, knowing the rest of the team would be thinking the same thing.

Meredith smiled, knowing what Tempe's team was thinking about.

"It's her job. It's pretty much the same with me. Mom was hardly around but she made the most of her time with us. Dad was around a bit longer but he had the job of sorting out our heirs and heiress thing. Give her something to change her mind like the fact that you love her. She loves you, you know? She's finally met her match." Meredith spoke, startling Booth, Angela and Jack.

Angela brightened at Meredith's words.

"See Booth! She does love you!" Angela beamed wide as she turned to the FBI agent with a smug smile.

Booth just simply glared at Angela. He really didn't know what he wanted right now but from Meredith's words, neither did Tempe.

They all got downstairs where Parker was sitting on the floor of the living room, watching Spongebob Squarepants while Derek, Temperance and Izzie were busy cooking breakfast, much to everyone else's amusement.

"I thought you couldn't cook, Bones." Booth grinned as Temperance folded the cream for the cake Izzie had in the oven.

Temperance just simply glared back at him.

"I didn't say I couldn't cook, Booth. I just don't have the time for it. I can make great food, can't I Mer!" Temperance retorted before turning to her stepsister.

"Of course you can! You rival Izzie in cooking, Tempe! Don't underestimate her in things like that, Seeley. She's very competitive and she could probably do most things simultaneously and without looking." Meredith smiled wide and proudly. She didn't mind if people could do things better than she could.

"You realise that's hurting my pride, Meredith." Izzie laughed from the kitchen as she took the cake out and onto a cake tray.

"I know and I'm sorry Iz but that's fact. She could beat you!" Meredith laughed back.

Temperance and Izzie took that moment to look at each other before they scoffed and smiled at Meredith.

"Um…This is isn't going to turn into a cook off, is it? Because we're going to have a awfully large amount of food on our hands and no where to give it to." Derek caught the look that Temperance and Izzie gave each other.

At that, everyone laughed at Derek's confusion, all wondering the same thing. How could a brain surgeon, renown in both sides of America, be so scared of two heavily competitive women?  
"Oh! This reminds me! We didn't have that feast!" Temperance's eyes widened, making everyone else painfully aware of that fact.

"We didn't but we should go over today to see what they prepared yesterday. Louis will be so disappointed if we didn't eat his marvellous food he prepared." Meredith reassured her stepsister calmly.

Temperance nodded happily. She missed the food served at her parent's house and also the people who prepared it.

"Meredith. What was the name of your boyfriend?" Booth asked, looking up from his laptop computer where he was typing things.

Meredith's brows furrowed for a minute before replying.

"Calvin Anthony Dennis. I asked his mother about him but she didn't know where he went with Rory. She hasn't seen him ever since." Meredith replied slowly.

Booth nodded and continued to type but by that time, Temperance had walked from the kitchen to where he was.

"You accessed the FBI files from here?" Temperance asked, peering over his shoulder curiously.

"Yeah. I found him but it says here he disappeared off the face of the earth after he took Rory 16 years ago. Wow!" Booth spoke before his eyebrows shot up when he clicked to see crimes Calvin had done.

"What? What did he do?" Meredith frowned as she walked and stood next Temperance to see what Booth was surprised about.

"It's just that he has done a lot of things that your ex has done in the 12 years people have seen him! Look here! Theft of a car twice! Burglary of house, shop, car, civilian! It says here that he worked with his father for most of them." Booth whistled low as the list went on and on.

"We put an intervention order on him once but he managed to sneak in and harass me to go out with him. I knew he wanted money but I went out with him anyway." Meredith spoke gently before she absent-mindedly took mug of tea on offer from Izzie who made it clear she was concerned for her friends safety.

"That doesn't look like the FBI access, Booth." Angela peered at what Booth, Temperance and Meredith were looking at.

"That one's not but this one is. I was also looking at the CIA files as well. The FBI also has CIA access so they can use it when we need to. The two groups argued for months about this decision." Booth explained, getting a few raised eyebrows from then people around him.

"What the difference?" George asked with a ponderous frown.

Booth shrugged. Everyone he knew, even Cullen, had no idea why the organizations were fighting. Hell, there was practically no difference.

(A/N: As sad as it may sound, neither do I. Which, in itself, is understandable because I live down under, Australia, and not America. Can someone please tell me what the difference is? Thnx!)

Temperance walked away from Booth's laptop and opened her own opposite him.

Booth immediately took notice of it and everyone, even Temperance who was observing him underneath her eyelashes, noticed his eyes sparkle.

"Are you going to work on your story, Bones?" Booth asked like a kid in a candy store which had ten dollars clutched in his hand.

Temperance simply smiled. She knew exactly what would get his attention. It was almost as if they were in a relationship…

She closed her eyes tightly at those words; hoping tears didn't come out of them because she was squeezing quite hard.

"Tempe?" Meredith quickly stood next to her stepsister, the concern for her overwhelming.

Temperance closed her laptop shut and slowly walked upstairs, making Izzie, Meredith and Angela to follow her out of concern.

Once Temperance reached her room, she opened the door and collapsed on the double bed, softly sobbing onto the pillow.

Angela, Meredith and Izzie entered the room, being careful to lock it after them before they all sat down at the edge of the bed, waiting for Temperance.

"It gets harder every single day, you know? He's always smiling at me and I'm supposed to be totally oblivious! I mean, how can I live like that? Oh, my whole life has to be one of total ignorance because my life is harmed at every single turn and so will his! He's an FBI agent for crying out loud!" Temperance spoke with pain clearly making its appearance.

Meredith walked to next to Temperance and sat down, stroking her face gently as she smiled at her in gentle assurance.

"One day, you'll look back and laugh. You'll be happy and you'll be happy for a reason. Don't give up hope now, Tempe. When it comes to love, ignore every single rational thought. You need none for love. I mean, look at me. I'm a surgical intern who is madly in love with a surgical attending. We're the gossip of the hospital and it'll never stop but we don't care. I doubt anyone would be nasty to you just because you love Seeley. You have friends, great friends who look up to you and support you." Meredith assured her sister gently.

Temperance fixed one watery sky blue eye on Meredith before she stared at her pillow again, contemplating her reply.

"Bren. You two belong together. No matter how many times you deny it, it'll bite you on the ass one day." Angela spoke, concerned for her absolutely confused friend who was caught up hard in this mess.

Temperance breathed deeply, looking down on the ground which was so beautifully carpeted with a cream coloured carpet.

"I really want to explain to him but you know how these things end for me, Merry. The guys freak out and I get hurt." Temperance half growled under her breathe, giving Angela the insight into Temperance's reasoning to shut herself out from relationships.

Meredith smiled as she smoothed out Temperance's long, wavy auburn hair.

"Part of being in real relationships is the pain itself. You can't live until you feel that pain and when you find your soul mate, there is no more pain. Not intentionally anyway." Meredith replied gently.

Temperance abruptly sat up, her carefully applied mascara smudged, mixed with tears that smudged her cheeks and her lipstick pretty much the same way.

"But he has Parker and Rebecca to deal with. I don't want to be second priority…" Temperance started to say but Izzie interrupted her.

"Tempe. Booth would be a fool and a huge one if he takes a beautiful woman like you as second priority. Sure, Parker is his son and Rebecca is Parker's mother but he will sort them out. Trust me. I mean, Derek had a _wife_! And now, he's on his way to marry Mer. Just trust us on this." Izzie grinned wide, getting a halfhearted glare from Meredith.  
Temperance nodded and she let Meredith help her off the bed.

"Now, let's get you back to normal." Angela smiled as the three women gently pushed Temperance out the door and into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Booth was getting worried. He had heard sobbing from upstairs but he had no idea who it was from.

_Was Tempe crying? I really hope not…_ Booth bit his lip at the thought. He was genuinely concerned for his partner but he had no clue whatsoever to where they stood in terms of the relationship, personal or otherwise.

Izzie, Angela and Meredith walked down with self satisfied smiled pasted on their faces, making all them men suspicious.

"Presenting Temperance Allegra Brennan, beauty queen!" Meredith smiled wide as she announced to the men.

Booth frowned when he saw nothing but then, his breath caught his throat when Temperance walked down the staircase, smiling gently.

He drank the sight of her in that midnight blue satin/silk evening gown that was slightly longer at the back than the front and exposed ample cleavage, her hair beautiful, addicting hair which was in a slight bun with some strands loose which rested on her creamy neck and her generous cleavage, a diamond and pearl tiara gently perched in her hair, a diamond and black pearl necklace with matching earrings and the most surprising fact. Her creamy feet were encased in beautiful silver high heels with small pearls and diamonds.

No one missed the sight of pure awe and the sparkling of Booth's eyes, not even Temperance herself who blushed slightly. She was used to the paparazzi snapping pictures of her when she least expected it but she wasn't used to this, totally blowing away the one she loved with her beauty.

Booth took her hand as she got down to the last step, his eyes shining.

"You look…so beautiful, Bones." Booth spoke gently and slightly hesitantly.

"Thank you, Booth." Temperance smiled back.

Angela was squirming with happiness at the couple. She wished something more happened but Meredith had warned her in the bathroom that if she rushed her stepsister any more, she would be on the first plane back to DC and permanently barred from contacting Temperance. And wisely, Angela resolved she would leave Mother Nature to do her work.

Meredith made her way next to Derek and the couple watched as Booth, completely besotted with Temperance, did everything she asked of him.

"Are you trying to murder the poor guy, Mer?" Derek asked as he watched the amusing situation before him.

Meredith, confused, looked up at her boyfriend.

"Why do you ask that?" Meredith asked with a frown. She didn't see anything wrong with this whole situation.

"He's head over heels for her and she doesn't realise it…" Derek replied but he instantly regretted saying it as Meredith shot him a withering look.

"Temperance is my stepsister and I know her better than anyone. She was crying, upstairs, a few minutes ago. She was crying because she was absolutely confused about her feeling for Seeley. She has been so since they first met each other. She doesn't realise it?! How can she not! She is a broken woman, Derek. She's scared to be hurt again and it will take some time before she opens up to Seeley but she will. It's only a matter of time." Meredith replied, slightly angry at her boyfriend for accusing Temperance wasn't aware of obvious things like that just because she didn't acknowledge them.

Derek pulled a puppy dogface Meredith simply could not resist which made her melt her resolve slightly and give him a chaste kiss.

"I'm sorry, Mer. I don't know Temperance as much as you do." Derek replied gently as he wrapped his arms tightly around Meredith's waist.

Meredith smiled as she watched Temperance and Seeley talk, smirking when she saw him trying to control his physical reaction to such beauty.

Ten minutes later, Temperance went upstairs to get changed but everyone, especially Angela, Booth and Jack, were stunned to the core to see her wearing something she wouldn't normally wear.

"Bren, sweetie. What cha wearing?" Angela was the first to speak out of the trio when Temperance finally made her way down the staircase.

Temperance smiled as she looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a cream coloured V-neck, long sleeved shirt under a creamy brown jacket. She wore jeans that were decorated with a chain on the right hip and a single rose on the left leg. What stunned the others was her choice of accessories. She had a small rhinestone hair clip to tame her auburn hair and a mother of pearl necklace.

"You don't like it?" Temperance frowned slightly.

"No. It's not that. It's just…" Jack replied before nudging Booth and Angela. He couldn't say what was the matter to his boss who, he knew, had a whole lot more money than him.

"Your choice of clothes and accessories are so different to what you usually wear at the lab, Bren." Angela supplied, being the most confident out of the three when it came to Temperance Brennan.

Temperance's mouth moved to the side, something the trio had never seen her doing ever before back home in Washington D.C.

"My clothing choice is…different?" Temperance frowned deeply.

At this point, Meredith stepped in to help the awkwardness move along.

"Those are her clothes that she left here the last time she was here. The room she's staying in now, I made it especially for her." Meredith explained gently, noticing Temperance's dark scowl.

Angela nodded, elbowing the men so they would smile as well but she got a completely different response to the one she wanted.

"OW! Angela!" Both Jack and Booth hissed at Angela with annoyed, pained and outraged looks on their face.

"Smile before Bren kung foo's your ass to oblivion!" Angela hissed low as she indicated Temperance with her head.

Both men noticed the now very irate forensic anthropologist, wincing before they pulled smiles to save their lives.

"They _are _very different to the clothes you wear back at the lab but they do suit you all the same." Angela smiled gently, hoping she could please Temperance, sighing with relief when she saw a small smile grace her lips.

Meredith smiled before she looked down at her watch, yelping loudly when she saw the time on it read 6:23 am.

"Guys! We're late!" Meredith yelped, startling everyone, making them check their watches to indeed find they were late.

Everyone rushed to shove the remainder of their breakfasts in paper bags and coffee in mugs that Izzie had generously pulled out when she was cooking.

When they all, somehow and miraculously, fitted into the Hummer, it was a buzz of chatter while George drove, Callie in the seat next to him.

"What' you plan for today, Tempe?" Meredith smiled as she faced her stepsister who had adamantly refused to sit next to her team because she still felt insulted by their comments moments ago.

"I'm going to investigate the bones today and hopefully, I can pull a few strings around with the local FBI to open an investigation. Later, I thought about going shopping with Angela and then, at dinner, we'll all go to mom and dad's place." Temperance replied with a wide, genuine smile.

Meredith nodded brightly. She knew Temperance could and would pull a few strings to get the FBI involved. Besides, she had done so before and it did help that Booth was FBI and he was her partner.

Ten minutes later, they all arrived at Seattle Grace Hospital.

Meredith gave Derek a gentle kiss as George did the same with Callie before they all walked into the place where problems began and very rarely become solved in the end. That happened in Joe's bar.

"We'd better get going. We'll take the SUV you left outside the hospital that you were always telling me how if someone stole your car; you'd always have another spare." Temperance whispered to Meredith who nodded gently.

The Jeffersonian team all hopped into the SUV and they all agreed, with some reluctance on Temperance's side, that Booth should drive.

"Oh. We have to pick up Zach. Has anyone called him?" Temperance frowned as she remembered her young assistant.

The other three shook their heads. They had to get used to the two sides of Temperance Brennan as they came, always without warning.

"I'll call him. Don't worry about that, sweetie. Just concentrate on the case." Angela patter he best friend's arm. She was the most used to the two sides of Temperance but even she was nonplussed.

They got to the FBI building in Seattle faster than they had imagined, partly because they were driving a slightly modified Hummer and also because Booth was, somehow, coerced by Temperance, to let her drive after they collected Zack from his friend's place since Booth was complaining so much about how long it would take to get there.

(**A/N: **I'm not even 100 sure there _is _an FBI building in Seattle since I don't live in America so don't blame me is it's wrong.)

"Next time, remind me when I'm in a rush, I have to call you to pick me up." Angela was grinning ear to ear as she hopped out of the car.

"What can I say? I drive a Lamborghini Mucielago back home in Washington D.C and Merry did promise me she would hot up the Hummer." Temperance shrugged, making Jack and Booth gape open mouthed at her.

"A…a Lamborghini Mucielago? Don't you just have a Ferrari 360 Spider?" Booth spluttered. He had absolutely no idea Temperance had and interest in cars. She would make a perfect girlfriend for anyone. No, scratch that. She was his and only his and he would deadly sure of that.

Temperance burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing she had heard in a very long time, which is was.

"I'm the heiress to the world's largest shipping company! I am in line for 5 times more than the Cantilever Group has right now! Just because I store cars in my houses, that does not mean I haven't spent a single dime!" Temperance tried to regain her normal composure but she couldn't stop laughing.

It took five minutes for Temperance to stop laughing and that was only because she pressed one of her own sorrow buttons which made her cry for a bit.

"You serious when you said you're in line for five times more than what the Cantilever Group has right now?" Jack asked seriously as he sat down on the park bench next to Temperance as she watched Angela swing on the swings that were nearby.

"Yes. With more money, come even greater responsibilities. I own 5 houses, all in different states. I always have 2 private planes on standby in case of emergencies and I have used them on occasion. I co-own a Texan ranch used for horse breeding. I wrote down Booth and Angela for joint power of attorney, and also for joint medical decision making thing just in case I can't make those decisions for myself. I've already told Angela about her role but I have no idea as to how I'm going to tell Booth." Temperance replied honestly. After being trapped, buried underground with Jack for 4 hours, Temperance regarded Jack as a very close friend which she could open her heart to.

Jack nodded. He wasn't jealous and she knew that. He was just curious and she could handle curiosity. The people Temperance could trust were Angela and Jack but she could trust Booth with her life and more.

Jack gazed at Temperance for while. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him and he knew persistence would get him everywhere with her.

"What happened, Temperance?" Jack asked as his hazel eyes gazed up into Temperance's own sapphire blue ones.

Temperance sighed as she opened the only recent file in her memory which she would have kept locked away in her brain if it wasn't for Jack's keen eye for uncovering secrets. Besides, she couldn't have kept it there for long because Angela would have prised it as well.

"I came to office one morning and I had some issues to deal with Cam so, without thinking, I walked to her office and opened the door." Temperance started to explain, her breathing getting deeper with every three words.

Jack nodded gently for her to continue. He had never seen Temperance like this after the Grave Digger's stint. If he had to compare between the two out of which one outwardly scared Temperance more, right now would always win, hands down. She was that scared of this one event.

"I found…I found Booth and Cam having sex in her office in front of me. I don't know what's happening Jack. The world I knew, the nice, even partnership I had, disappeared in that moment. That's the reason why I was so moody and snappish to everyone, especially Booth and Cam. That image has plagued me ever since." Temperance sniffed, dabbing her eyes with a tissue she had in her pocket.

Jack nodded sympathetically. He could see, just as well as Angela, that Temperance and Booth had feelings for one another. He would have to have a long chat to the FBI agent in the near future. He truly cared about Temperance's happiness.

Temperance stood up and Jack could see that she had replaced her strong façade again. Jack sighed. He wished that one day, Booth would stop him idiotic actions and fess up to Temperance soon or there was going to be hell to pay.

"We'd better get inside the building. There's no use standing out here all day." Temperance spoke in a low, even voice that sounded strained in Jack's ears.

Jack nodded. He knew that if you wanted to know all the secrets that Temperance Brenna had inside of her IQ of over 170 brain, you had to be really, _really _patient and understanding.

By this time, Angela, Booth and Zack had walked over just in time as Temperance wiped away a stray tear which was falling down her face.

"Sweetie! Are you Ok?" Angela was instantly shocked at the tears which was falling down her best friend's face.

"I'm alright, Ange. I really am. I just need a minutes, that's all." Temperance smiled slightly as she turned around, continuing to wipe away her tears.

Angela shot Jack and questioning look but Jack just simply shook his head in reply, knowing that Temperance would tell everyone in due time.

"Not now, Ange. She'll tell you soon. Just not now and you'll get her even more upset if you do." Jack replied simply. He, like Angela and Zack, was very loyal to Temperance and he wouldn't divulge a secret of hers willingly.

Booth was very confused. He had no idea what made his partner upset and he that in no circumstance would Jack ever tell. Squints were very good friend in that respect.

The five of them walked into the building, all agreeing that Booth should talk since he was the FBI agent and this was the FBI building there were in.

"Hi. Can I speak to the head of this building?" Booth asked the pretty receptionist who was typing on her computer, looking really bored.

"Sure. Who are you?" The receptionist glanced up, slowly chewing gum as she checked Booth out with some interest.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth from the D.C division." Booth replied, slightly tersely. He was in full agent mode now.

The receptionist nodded as she got out of her chair and walked around to be in front of Booth and the rest of the team.

"Follow me." The receptionist spoke, walking to the elevator as her heeled showed clicked across the tiled floor of the ground lobby.

Two minutes later, the team and the receptionist had reached the top floor of the Seattle FBI building where everyone knew the boss's office was.

The receptionist knocked on the door sharply before a muffled "Do come in" was heard from inside.

The team stepped inside the plush office of a man, whose name everyone had missed on their way in, not that it mattered.

"What can I do…Oh my lord! Temperance?" The man smiled gently before he spotted Temperance, on which both parties beamed.

"Sean! Papa never told me you were the head of the FBI here in Seattle." Temperance smiled as she hugged the man warmly.

"Neither did he tell me that you're a very famous author and anthropologist. Your mother told me that. Now, what can I do for you?" Sean asked with a warm smile, turning to face the four members of Temperance's team, all stunned to the core.

"Bones… You know the head of the FBI here?" Booth asked weakly.

"Sure I do! Meet Sean Troy. He's my dad's best and closest friend. Sean taught me a lot of things I know today. He was the one who fuelled my interest in anthropology and convinced my parents that this was the thing I loved doing. I owe you a lot, don't I?" Temperance beamed happily. She didn't mind if Sean was the head of FBI in Seattle. He was still the first person who believed her when everyone else doubted her.

"You owe me nothing, Tempe. As long as you catch every criminal you can with your skills, I'm happy." Sean smiled brightly. He regarded Temperance as the child he never had and it was fate that Jesse made him Temperance's godfather. Sean never married but being with Jesse and Ellis, he decided he was happier in this arrangement.

Booth, Angela, Jack and even Zack cold see that Sean was Temperance's other dad when her real dad was away or busy.

"That's how our house operated. Each of us had our own godfathers or godmothers who our parents kind of knew we would go well with that we could rely on to help any of us out in a tight spot when mom and dad wasn't there It worked so well." Temperance smiled wide.

"Now," Sean clapped his hands as he indicated everyone to sit down,"which one of you is the FBI agent from D.C?"

"I am, sir. Special Agent Seeley Booth." Booth replied as Sean's attention turned to him slowly.

Sean knew he didn't have to ask. The actual physical figure of Booth screamed "AGENT!" and he swore that Booth used to be in army, as a ranger perhaps? Also, he could see admiration and something more for Temperance in his eyes as she spoke.

"Yes. Sa Cullen told me yesterday you were probably going to give me a visit. It surprised me when he told me that you're working with the FBI, Tempe. I suppose it was influenced by me being an agent?" Sean grinned, a sparkle in his eyes as Temperance rolled her eyes.

"I'm already dealing with Booth's oversized ego, Sean. I don't need yours as well." Temperance crossed her arms and frowned on mock anger. She could never truly be angry at Sean

Sean simply grinned back. He would have to talk to Booth soon. Sean was, is and always will be very of Temperance and for good reason. If anyone wanted marry Temperance, they had to through Sean as well as Jesse and Ellis. They gave him that right when they asked him to be Temperance's godfather.

Temperance smiled wide. She knew she didn't have to throw her weight around that she was an heiress now that Sean was the head of the FBI in Seattle. Sean would help either way, although she could have to withstand Booth _and_ Sean's egos.

"Anyway, what can I do for you?" Sean grinned as he leaned back on his chair.

The whole team gazed sympathetically at Temperance indicating that she would have to do the talking.

"It's Rory. We found her…" Temperance explained thickly, tears springing in her eyes which she ignored.

Sean almost fell off his seat. He knew how much Temperance loved Rory and anyone who knew her could see how much the death pained her.

"She's dead, is she?" Sean asked slowly in a timid voice. When Temperance was grieving, she would either snap of she would break down.

Temperance nodded. She felt numb, so very numb. She didn't want to believe that Rory was dead. She knew, however that denying would never bring Rory back.

Booth, Angela, Jack and Zack watched as all the defences that Temperance had placed around her crumbled into nothing as she fell to the floor, tears falling.

(**A/N: **I am fully aware that Temperance doesn't act like this but she's a different person in Seattle, the sort of 'true' Temperance if you like. She has come to terms that she lost her favourite sister who she would do anything for and as you would expect, she breaks down.)

Booth was quick to try and help her, shocked when she accepted his help after a few seconds of resistance.

"Merry found her in a bag on her doorstep a couple of days ago. She's just thin, fragile bones. Temperance spoke hollowly. She didn't know what to do anyone more and in front of Sean, she was the most comfortable.

"Let her go gently. Too much release can hurt you." Sean spoke but something about his tone told the team he wasn't just talking about the death and disappearance of Rory.

Temperance laughed bitterly. Even though she was young when her mother died, (**A/N: **Another point. This follows Temperance herself. Christine died when Temperance was 4 so Jesse brought her and Russ to Seattle.) she was still grieving for her.

"You must think I'm weird for still grieving about my mom. I was only 4. Yet, I still remember her. You know her death was classified suspicious." Temperance laughed dryly.

The team frowned, whipping around to see Sean's expression and to their surprise, he nodded gently.

"You know your father didn't do it, Tempe. You're a forensic anthropologist…" Sean began to say but Temperance was searing a dark glare at him.

"They never found her. I'm no use if there are no bones." Temperance shot back. This was the reason for her grief. No one had found her yet.

Sean chuckled lightly. He knew toying with people wasn't nice but it was fun when he was toying with Temperance, especially in her current state of mind.

"You're Bones. You'll find her." Sean chuckled, making everyone's head shoot up like really alert meerkats.

"You've never called me Bones in a while now." Temperance smiled wryly, making Booth stare open mouthed at her.

"Is this the reason why you didn't want me to call you Bones, Bones?" Booth raised an eyebrow. This was a new experience for Booth, seeing his partner in her element, making the past unfold in front of her.

"This and so many other reasons. You two are so alike it's really confusing. Right down to the pop culture thing." Temperance nodded. She knew that one day, she would have clashes with her past and present that would fit together somehow.

Sean raised his eyebrows. He never expected that Temperance would fall in love, much less fall for her partner, a high ranking FBI agent in Washington D.C who was so creepily like himself.

Angela smirked happily to herself. She had now almost deemed Temperance and Booth the inevitable couple. No she understood why her best friend protested being called "Bones" by Booth.

Both was somewhere in between abject horror and shock, most likely the combination of the two. His partner already had the nickname "Bones", given to her by her mentor, the head of the FBI in Seattle, who was like basically his clone, only way older.

"Nice that you've gotten rid of Michael." Sean cleared his throat gently.

Temperance almost fell off her chair because of the shock. She though Sean didn't know. No, she didn't think anyone knew.

"Although I haven't been talking to your father, I have been talking to Meredith. She was one of the first people who told me about Michael. I did a background check on him. He was your university professor, Tempe." Sean continued. He had his own sources.

_I am going to hurt her when I see her. _Temperance seethed angrily, her sapphire blue eyes darkening into almost navy blue.

Booth, Angela, Jack, Zack and Sean were so glad that Temperance wasn't mad at them. They knew the type of damage she could inflict. But they knew Temperance loved her sister so no blood would be shed.

"Meredith was doing what she knows is right. You can't blame her for telling me. Besides, he ruined your case because he made some very personal comments in court I understand." Sean justified. He knew he could say all this because she loved him and would never intentionally hurt him.

Temperance's eyes returned to normal. She knew Meredith was just worried for her so she told Sean about Michael. But still…

"Did you say anything to him?" Temperance asked levelly and with a sigh.

"I knew you had Agent Booth there as your partner so I didn't bother. Why? Should I have?" Sean replied truthfully. He knew full well that if he told a lie, she would pick it up in 10 seconds flat.

"No. I was just checking. Booth interrogated my ex-boyfriend, David." Temperance replied like it was a simple topic like the weather.

Sean nodded, mouthing "Thank you!" to Booth behind Temperance's back, making Booth grin. He had a feeling that he and Sean would work remarkably well together.

Unfortunately, Temperance saw this so she shot a glare at both FBI men, making them smile sheepishly back at her.

"Before you two get all alpha male again, I need access to a laboratory, which has all of the state of the art facilities so that Jack, Angela, Zack and I can get to work. You know one?" Temperance spoke in her business voice, everybody knowing full well she was demanding, not at all requesting.

Sean frowned for a minute before smiling wide.

"I have just the place. You have to call your mom and dad for access to it, though…" Sean began to say but stopped talking when he saw Temperance's mouth break into a wide smile.

"That place? Obviously they've updated it! How thoughtless of me!" Temperance spoke of the place like it was the most obvious place in the world and that everyone knew where it was.

"Uh, Bones…? What place are you talking about?" Booth asked with a frown. He was startled when she was happy to this degree because no one had seen her this happy before bar her family, servants, friends and the various godparents of her siblings.

Temperance turned to face Booth and her team before she laughed gently, a hand to muffle her laugher on her mouth.

"I'm so sorry! I'm getting to ahead of myself, aren't I? Well, my parents fund a fully functional laboratory ten minutes away from here!" Temperance spoke brightly.

"Ok then! Let's go, sweetie!" Angela smiled as she took her best friend's hand, smiling when Temperance squeezed her hand in reply.

The team and Sean quickly got into the SUV and 10 minutes later, they arrived at their destination.

"Seriously?! The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture?" Jack whistled low as he took in his surroundings.

Temperance shrugged nonchalantly before a brunette streak ran passed and hugged her tightly, to the alarm of all her team.

"Chelsea! I haven't seen you in years!" Temperance laughed gently as she hugged the ecstatic woman back.

"I've heard so much about you for Meredith, my co-workers and your parents. How are you?" Chelsea smiled wide and brightly.

"I'm fine. You probably know that Merry found Rory. I can't believe it but I'm a forensic anthropologist for god's sake! I saw those bones and I know they're hers!" Temperance shook her head, making Chelsea sigh and give Temperance a reassuring hug.

Angela cleared her throat, which made Chelsea startle and Temperance to smile softly at her two friends.

"Sorry. Everyone, this Chelsea Helena Kane, my best friend for high school. She's a forensic artist like you, Ange." Temperance smiled, knowing Angela was jealous of Chelsea.

"Hi. I'm Angela Montenegro, Bren's best friend since college. I'm her sketch artist. Nice to meet you, Chelsea." Angela smiled as she extended a hand, which Chelsea took readily and with a smile.

"This is Zack Addy, my assistant and grad student. Over here is Sean. You know Sean from years ago. This is Jack Hodgins, my entomologist. He controls the Cantilever Group, the single largest donor of the Jeffersonian. And this here is Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. He's my work partner." Temperance introduced everyone to a curious Chelsea.

_He's hot! _Chelsea signed, her eyebrows raised at her best friend.

_Make a move on him and you aren't going to Washington D.C in Sepia! _Temperance signed back, her eyebrows raised in reply.

"Please don't tell me you know how to talk in sign language, Bones." Booth raised his eyebrows at his partner. That's another thing to add to the list of what Temperance knew. Sign language.

Temperance simply shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She did admit that learning sign language was stretching it a bit but it did have its benefits, especialy if you didn't want anyone else to know what you were talkin about.

"We should get inside. All of my friends and co-workers were all debating to who should greet you but I just ran out. It was pointless conversation anyway." Chelsea shrugged. As much as she loved her job, it was stupid at times like these that she had seriously considered quitting.

Temperance nodded gently in reply. She was used to people gawking at her just because she was an heiress and all but sometimes, it got on her nerves.

"That's what you get for being a universally known heiress, author and forensic anthropologist, Tempe." Chelsea smiled gently, tapping into her best friend's thoughts. That was easy to figure out.

"You'd think that people would be more mindful but they aren't. They just stand there and gape, wishing they were in line to control the world's largest shipping company. I had no choice. The rules state that." Temperance sighed, exasperated and annoyed of the other people and her situation. Sure, being an heiress has given her international stardom but she didn't like it so much.

The team, Sean and Chelsea, entered the Burke museum of natural history and culture in silence until they entered the laboratory where a crowd of people turned to stare at them, their mouths open.

"OK! Shows over, people! I will personally hurt the next person to gawk at my best friend, got it?" Chelsea growled low, making everyone jump and return to work immediately.

Temperance raised her eyebrows at Chelsea who grinned.

"Did I mention that I'm the head of forensics?" Chelsea grinned slowly, making Temperance shake her head.

"An artist who's the boss? Wow! I thought that couldn't happen." Angela glanced at Chelsea with new found respect.

"What can I say? I have high connections but I don't use them that often. Besides, most of the people here are idiots and the only person game enough to handle them was yours truly. I've trained all sorts of people into some of the most brilliant people of this day and age. It's all because of Sean and Tempe that I'm here today." Chelsea smiled, proud of her achievements and why shouldn't she be?

"We should go shopping together and then have dinner at mom and dad's. What about it?" Temperance offered. She had wished and hoped to catch up with Chelsea. She hadn't been to Seattle in ages.

"Sure. I have no other plans after this so, it's a plan. Now, I assume that you have Rory's bones inside that bag?" Chelsea opened the door to her spacious office that was almost as big as Temperance's.

"Yeah. Mer found it literally on her doorstep two days ago. It came with a not. We think it came from Calvin." Temperance handed the bag to Chelsea, tears shining brightly in her eyes.

Chelsea nodded. She knew what a sensitive issue it was trying to talk about Rory with Temperance. Now that it was confirmed Rory was dead, Temperance would be even more unapproachable.

"We'd probably have to get the bones downstairs so you can observe them properly." Chelsea encouraged Temperance gently as they walked out of the office and down a spiral staircase that led to the laboratory.

They walked down to the platform where Chelsea handed them all temporary cards bar Temperance who pulled out an access card out of her purse.

Chelsea helped Temperance spread out the bones on the examination table, the skull the last thing to be removed from the bag.

Temperance dug straight into organising the bones in order, sighing every so often which made everyone worry just that little bit more.

"The victim is a 4 year old Caucasian female. The lacerations on her wrists indicate that she was chained to something solid, a wall perhaps. There are cuts on her ribs which highlight that she was stabbed but that wasn't the cause of death due to the location of them. Her cause of death was suffocation and/or a hematoma. Both were fatal but the time frames are quite close. Her favourite sports were swimming and golf. Her favourite colour was ruby red, her hair colour." Temperance spoke levelly but when she spoke about the favourites, her voice wavered as tears splashed onto the examination table.

Booth took a step forward and enveloped Temperance in a reassuring hug. She resisted only for a second before she hugged him back, tears rolling down her cheeks and onto his suit which he chose to wear today.

"Grieve for her, Temperance." Booth whispered into his partner's ear as she grieved for her dead sister. Booth was glad that here, in Seattle, Washington, Temperance could show her true colours and emotions because this was her hometown and her family was here but now, he saw her true side, the side that grieved for her dead mother and now doing the same for her cherished younger sister, he had even more concerns for her and realised why she hid everything when she worked.

Five minutes later, Temperance stopped crying and instead, she was drinking a mug of hot chocolate that a co-worker of Chelsea's had made for her.

"My mother did 22 years ago but here I am, still grieving for her and Rory, who died 14 years ago. So long ago yet I still grieve." Temperance sighed as she drank the hot chocolate slowly.

"Maybe it's because you haven't found their killers yet, sweetie. It's a rational response to disappearances like that." Angela assured her best friend. She, like everyone else who knew Temperance personally, was deeply concerned for her health and wellbeing.

Everyone nodded at Temperance in agreement. They all knew it was a natural enough reaction to 2 disappearances in her immediate family, the first igniting her dream to be a forensic anthropologist and the second giving it so much power, it split her personality in order for her to stay sane.

"It's a reasonable enough theory, Angela. It's rational and it places my emotions in the right category." Temperance replied in her cool, calm and collect tone she used in order for her to remain sane.

"Sweetie. This is Seattle, Washington. The place where it rains 6 days outta 7. The place where you, Meredith and your siblings grew up in. It's miles away from work, way east in Washington D.C. You know, as well as us, that you can drop your work and be happy and be yourself here." Angela berated her best friend. What Angela didn't expect was the very same reaction she got.

"I can't stay sane any other way! It's just not possible!" Temperance snapped harshly. Her emotions were now shot to a million pieces and she didn't know how to deal with them so she lashed out at anyone around her.

Everyone was on high alert. If Temperance was upset, that generally meant a very bad thing. She was like a stick of dynamite when she was upset. The only person who knew how to deal with her was Meredith but she was at work.

"Ally, come here." Sean opened his arms, calling Temperance a name no one had heard her being called before.

Temperance walked into Sean's open arms and let him hug her tightly as she replied to the hug, relishing in the comfort she found there.

"Ally's my other nickname for Temperance. It's written on her birth certificate that she's Temperance Allegra Christiana Brennan. Temperance after my mother, Allegra being the Italian word for joy and Christiana for her mother, Christine." Sean explained as everyone shot him odd looks.

Everyone nodded, even Booth. He though his partner had a beautiful name, especially one of her name's being the Italian word for joy.

"Apparently, mom and dad thought Decorah, which is the Latin word for beautiful, would be better but they settled for Allegra." Temperance spoke gently and in a soft, gentle tone none of her team her ever heard her use.

"Anyway…Since it's around about 5 now, do you wanna go shopping?" Chelsea asked after checking the time on her mobile phone.

Everyone gazed disbelievingly before they checked the time on their watches/phones and found that Chelsea wasn't lying about the time.

"Oh come on! I love Tempe and all but I am _not _going to sink that low and lie about the time!" Chelsea scoffed as she raised both eyebrows at everyone.

Everyone smiled apologetically at her, especially Temperance.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't I call up my parents and borrow a limo. Then, us three girls can shop until out hearts content, all on my card! How does that sound?" Temperance reasoned gently.

"Sweetie…" Angela began to speak but Temperance shook her head.

"No. I have $12 million on just one card! I do not have the time or the effort to spend that money." Temperance placed her hands on her hips. She was _not _in any mood to argue with her friends about how _she _wanted to spend in excess of $12 million which increased every day, both by interest and her salary.

"Angela. It's best not to argue about money with Tempe. She's loyal to each one of her friends and this is one of her ways in showing how much she cares about you." Chelsea reasoned gently to Angela. Chelsea was practically a part of the Grey-Brennan family so she knew a lot about the whole family, especially Temperance and Meredith.

Angela shrugged and then nodded, eliciting a smile from Temperance. She reasoned that since Temperance was so guarded, she tried her best to retain friendships in this way.

"OK then! Let me call my parents!" Temperance beamed wide, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling brightly as she got out her mobile phone out of her Louis Vitton handbag.

Ten minutes later, a limousine pulled up at the front of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, making all the various employees to gape out the windows in awe and envy.

"You boys can go off and do whatever you like, even play with the Playstation 3 in one of the play rooms. Just…don't leave a mess because Izzie…she'll murder you…" Temperance spoke, smiling when Zach, Jack, Sean and Booth's hears shot up at the word "playstation."  
"Ok. Where do you ladies wanna go?" Craig, the chauffeur, asked with a grin.

At Craig's words, Temperance, Angela and Chelsea's brows furrowed and they turned to face one another.

"Anywhere we can spend $12 million would be nice…" Temperance replied gently, making Craig laugh heartily.

"You have no idea, do you Temp? Well…how about Fairview shopping Centre? That's not too far from here and I bet you three can spend $12 milling there quite easily." Craig suggested lightly.

Ten minutes later, the limousine arrived at Fairview shopping Centre and at Temperance's coaxing, had the limo parked so that Craig could do some shopping with his girlfriend who, incidentally, was a friend of Chelsea's.

"Ok. Do you guys wanna shop separately or in a group so we can chat?" Temperance asked as they walked inside the shopping complex.

"In a group so we can chat. You and I have a lot to catch up on and I can get to know Angela." Chelsea spoke and Angela agreed. Angela wanted to know why Temperance was crying in front of the FBI building in Seattle as she talked to Jack just a couple of hours before.

The trio went around, picking and buying clothes, necklaces, earrings, shoes, handbags and all sorts of items of use.

By the time they were finished, it was 7:30pm.

"Craig! Can you drive the limo closer to the entrance?" Temperance asked as she spotted Craig and Mary, who was one of the kitchen staff at Tesla Mansion and a close friend of Chelsea's.

"Sure thing!" Craig nodded as he and Mary ran off to get the limo closer to the complex's front entrance.

Ten minutes later, the limo arrived at Tesla Mansion, just as the SUV and the Hummer pulled in.

"Let's move the shopping into the SUV so we don't have to do it after dinner." Temperance suggested lightly, making Angela nod her head but made Chelsea look rather apprehensive.

"I should get home after dinner…" Chelsea started to say but Temperance cut her off in a firm voice.

"Chelsea. Mom and dad would love to see you, so would Mer. You can kip in one of the spare bedrooms at Mer's house. We're all staying there and I'm sure Mer will only be too happy to have you around." Temperance argued, looking at Chelsea with her irresistible puppy eyes.

Chelsea shook her head but both Angela and Temperance knew she had given in.

"Ok! Fine! You know I love those eyes! Don't use them on me!" Chelsea squealed, making Temperance and Angela smile.

The trio sprinted to the SUV, chucked all their stuff in and ran back to the limo without anyone noticing, surprisingly enough.

"Hey! How was the shopping trip?" Meredith smiled as she embraced Angela and Temperance in a hug.

"Great! You remember Chelsea? Do you mind if she stays the night at our house?" Temperance smiled as Chelsea gazed around softly.

"Of course! I'm not going to say no to one of my closest friends, am I now? Of course you can stay the night at my house!" Meredith beamed wide. She didn't mind if people came over and stayed the night. The more the merrier.

"Ok. That's good then. We just stuffed out shopping in the SUV." Angela spoke brightly, making Temperance shake her head.

"The next time I have a brilliant pan, I am going to remember to leave you out of it, Ange." Temperance sighed as everyone just stared at them.

"Ok then. We should get since. Louis would have made us a feast fit for a king inside." Meredith steered away from the awkwardness. She could have cut the tension with a pair of garden scissors that could slice through thick branches.

Everyone agreed readily. They didn't want things to get any more awkward than it already was.

They got inside Tesla Mansion just as the smells of wonderful various aromas hit their noses, making everyone's mouths water.

"Come, come! Master Jesse and Mistress Ellis are waiting for you all in the dining room." Maria smiled wide as she saw the whole group.

They all made their way to the massive dining room where Jesse and Ellis were waiting with a smile gracing their lips.

Temperance and Meredith gave their parents a hug and a kiss which were gently returned with smile.

"Louis was on cloud nine when we told him that you two would come and dine today. He said he would prepare all your favourites exactly how you like them." Jesse smiled at his two daughters. He was proud of all his children but he was especially proud of Temperance and Meredith. One was a forensic anthropologist and the other was a surgical intern destined to be a very affluent neurosurgeon.

"He's been waiting for this day for a very long time, hasn't he now? He'll be the chef of our joint wedding." Temperance laughed jovially as Meredith joined in.

"Ah yes. You two decided you'd have a joint wedding ever since you were 12 years old. Still going to have the wedding here?" Ellis smiled. She always smiled when either Meredith or Temperance mentioned the planning of the double wedding.

Both Temperance and Meredith nodded enthusiastically. They knew that the wedding would take place with everything beautiful, especially the brides and the bridegrooms.

Meredith was 100 sure that Derek was her man and that Booth was Temperance's man but it was the question of how they would come together which was the question for everyone, even Sean and Chelsea, who had _just _met Booth. They could sense and feel the strong chemistry.

"You both need men we'll approve." Jesse smiled gently, his hands clasped together and both elbows on the tabletop.

Meredith and Temperance smiled devilishly at each other, making everyone worry and gaze warily at them.

"Oh, don't worry about that, daddy. We aren't worrying one single bit about that." Temperance and Meredith chorused in a hyped happy voice.

"Oh good. We knew and trust you girls to make the right decisions." Ellis smiled calmly. She and Jesse were used to the playing done by the two, especially about the wedding.

"I thought you didn't believe in marriage, Bones." Booth frowned gently, wincing when he heard a sharp intake of breath by the Grey-Brennan family, Sean and Chelsea as well as a pained look passing fleetingly across Temperance's face.

"Something happened, years ago now. Someone broke my heart in the worst way. He was my fiancé at the time. He proposed. A story for another time. I'm dying for Louis' food." Temperance spoke carefully and slowly, making everyone on her team, save Angela, to frown.

Booth noticed Temperance kept looking down at her ring finger and noticed that she was playing with a rose ring on that finger, which she was playing with while she spoke.

A door burst open and an old French chef walked out, a smile pasted on his face as he made his way towards Meredith and Temperance, both with their own smiles.

"Ah! Miss Merry and Miss Tempe! I have missed you so!" The man spoke as he kissed their cheeks fondly.

"And so did we, Louis. How is Genevieve?" Temperance smiled wide as she and Meredith returned the kisses.

"She is wonderful as always. She baked cookies and pastries for you to take home." Louis smiled proudly. Like everyone who knew the girls, he loved them both dearly. They were so very happy most of the time and fun to be around.

"Please tell Gen that we would love to have the cookies and pastries to take home." Meredith smiled wide. She and Temperance loved everyone, especially Louis and his wonderful family.

"Of course. Your favourite foods will be out in a minute. I've been training Tony and Benjamin how to cook. Both of them love it." Louis nodded gently.

"Ben and Tony? Wouldn't they muck around?" Temperance frowned gently, her brows creasing cutely.

"And be reprimanded by their father? Not likely, ma Cherie. "Louis smiled back.

"They never seemed to ever stop surprising people." Ellis smiled gently at her head chef. She regarded all her staff as good friends and the feelings were mutual all around.

Moments later, plates full of pot roast, sweet and sour pork, steak, buttered potatoes, hot sweet chicken and corn soup and risotto were being taken out of the kitchen and onto the table.

"Wow! Pot roast!" Angela gasped happily, the smell of food wafting everywhere, combining together to smell absolutely wonderful.

"Every single one of them are our favourites. Louis, you've outdone yourself." Temperance smiled as she and Meredith kissed Louis on the cheeks once more.

"For the two girls who grew up to be beautiful, independent, successful and gifted women, it is my honour." Louis beamed brightly.

After dinner, which was delicious, everyone got into either the Hummer or the SUV to get back home.

"I missed Louis' cooking. We just go to Wong Foo's almost every night and have dinner. I love the food Sid makes and how he knows what to serve us, believe me, I do. But there are times where I crave Louis' caramel ice-cream which he used to make especially for Merry and I which he would send through the dumbwaiter late at night or when we were sick." Temperance spoke gently as she played with her rings and her necklace.

Booth nodded gently, watching his partner closely. Luckily, he wasn't driving this time around. Jack was. Zack was in the front passenger's seat. Booth, Temperance and Angela were all sitting in the back of the car, which was the SUV once more.

"The food if awesome! No offence to Sid or anything but damn! Am I glad that you're my best friend, Bren!" Angela grinned wide, making Temperance smile.

"Hence my cravings. His food, you will never forget. It's like love. Once you've found your perfect match, they'll never go away for anything…" Temperance started to state but her voice faltered at the end.

They finally reached home in 10 minutes which was the longest 10 minutes of Temperance's life as she remembered her bitter past.

"Goodnight everyone." Temperance smiled as she walked into her light purple room with spacious queen double bed with satin sheets filled with duck down.

She climbed into her bed, a lone tear slipping down her cheeks and onto the pillow as she closed her eyes, waiting for the memories of the years past slip into her dreams.

**Angela: **HEY! This Angela here, official sex goddess, and I was asked by Cathryn (isadora2arya) to tell you to REVIEW! This is an awesome story!

**Temperance: **That's because you tried everything Louis made watches as Angela jumps around and you are now officially high. Come on. Let's go before you embarrass yourself. Walks off with Angela.

**A/N: **WOW! Angela is really high!

Anyway, this is a summary for everyone who couldn't be bothered reading the whole thing (SLACKERS!) or you didn't really get it, which is ok.

In this chapter, Temperance's past id beginning to unfold and emotions are running wild for her. Temperance reveals to Jack that she saw something she wished she never saw occurring between Booth and Cam in Cam's office which is going to affect Temperance and Booth's relationship later on. That's explained better in "Where is your heart?"

Sean and Chelsea have been introduced. Sean was Tempe's teacher who is now the FBI head of Seattle who was the first to call her Bones, hence her initial irritation when Booth calls her that. Chelsea is Tempe's friend from high school who is now the head of forensics at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, even though she's an artist.

Also, it's revealed Meredith and Temperance have been planning their dream wedding for years, which you do when you're planning.

When questioned by Booth that Temperance always stated she never wanted to get married, she explains that she used to be engaged but her fiancé broke her heart in the worst way. That will be touched on more in later chapters.

Anyway, REVIEW! I don't care if it's just 1 sentence! I LOVE reviews and I will happily answer your questions, no matter how dumb they sound!


	4. Daddy?

**Disclaimer:** Don't own either show. Never will and I don't intend it to be. I wanna be on both, though… Can you really blame me?

**A/N: **I will continue to have a chapter summary, if you guys want that. I have explained everything in my own private review for this story in the "Grey's Anatomy" category so if Brennan cries too much, read that. I can't guarantee the chapters will be shorter or that it will be finished some time this year or maybe even next year but what I can say is that it's going to be a thrill ride! Cheesy but yeah… Oh…and another thing I thought I should mention. Brennan, her team and Booth are all roughly 26 - 28 to fit Meredith's age since they were born on the same day, Temperance and Meredith, I mean. Just so you know.

**A/ON: **I have shoulder and neck pain which is killing me, maybe even making this story have an even longer time till it's finished ! I will try to get this story finished and for all those people who want cookies and chocolate, they're over there (points to a table with 6 boxes of cookies and chocolate)

**Chapter 4: **Daddy?

It had been a long week for everyone, especially for Temperance and her team with some hardship for Meredith and co.

The lead for Rory's murder ended at Calvin's disappearance 14 years ago, which came as no surprise to anyone, especially the whole of the Grey-Brennan family.

Chelsea and Sean popped over to the house often, always unexpected but never unwelcome. They both supplied additional help about the case and emotional help for Temperance.

Temperance, although she cried, had slowly and steadily regained the person she was comfortable being here, in Seattle, Washington, with her family and friends to support her in every decision she made.

Today was a weird day. How it was, no one knew. But something everyone sensed in the morning told them that it would be.

Booth woke up and the first thing he did was check up on Parker. That was his thing and he smiled as he watched Parker sleep. It was 6:30 after all.

He, then, walked inside Temperance's room to watch her sleep. He was mildly surprised at the light purple walls and the creamy purple queen sized double satin sheeted bed. He didn't really take his partner as a satin sheeted girl.

What shocked him, however, was the fact that Temperance wasn't actually sleeping, as her empty bed indicated.

He knew that he couldn't control her. She was the most independent woman he had ever met in his whole life but that didn't mean that he didn't worry all the more.

He admired her. That itself was obvious enough for anyone to see, even for strangers. He had a fierce loyalty towards her, often interpreted by her as an "alpha male" characteristic, often very annoying, especially when it came to boyfriends.

Both of these things were easy enough for her to see. What was unable to be seen was he love and dedication for her. Reason? She had the exact same feelings.

Booth frowned deeply as he made his way downstairs on a mission to find what Temperance was doing out of her bed at 6:30 am when everyone else, to the great extent of his knowledge, were asleep.

He was about to go insane when he didn't find her downstairs when he heard song "What goes around…comes around" by Justin Timberlake, blaring in the garage.

He, with all his stealth skills, crept to the garage and found Temperance and Meredith practicing gymnastics on the bars and on the mats.

A smile formed gently on his lips as he watched them before he spoke.

"I never took you as gymnast who sleeps in purple satin sheets, Bones." Booth grinned, almost making the pair fall off the bars in shock.

Temperance and Meredith quickly regained their balance before they landed on the mats, in perfect rhythm, both shooting glares at the FBI agent.

"I have a lot of secrets, Booth. I don't expect everyone to know everything I do, save maybe Merry, my family, Sean and Chelsea. Not even Angela knows everything about me." Temperance replied softly, doing the splits which made Booth wince.

Booth nodded when a whole cabinet full of trophies and medals caught his eye.

The two women watched as he made his way towards the cabinet and opened it.

"They are all our medals that we've achieved over the past 20 years. We started all our things when I was 6, the time dad brought me and Russ here to Seattle, out of foster care." Temperance and Meredith made their way towards the cabinet.

Booth observed the awards, medals, trophies and cups that were all on display and found most were for archery, horse riding and gymnastics, which surprised him a lot.

"Most of the gymnastics are for the both of us. We competed as a double act most times, unless one of us was not up to the whole tournament one year. That was usually me so Tempe went. Never missed a year." Meredith smiled proudly at Temperance who beamed widely back, giving Booth the idea of how strong the connection between the two sisters was.

"Merry never competed in archery so all the archery ones are mines, as well as the taekwondo, judo, karate and all the various martial arts. We competed in gymkhanas, though." Temperance put in as Booth picked up an archery trophy with Temperance's name in big, gold lettering.

"I can understand why. So, you started everything at the age of 6?" Booth replaced the trophy back in its original place as he turned towards the sisters.

"Yeah. Our whole family wanted to master at something so all the girls started gymnastics at the age of 4-6 while the boys mastered martial arts. I'm the only girl who opted to do both." Temperance shrugged. She was always called a tomboy at school. At home, it was no different.

"She's also good at shooting, as you probably know. She tells me that you were an army ranger." Meredith smiled before she turned her haunting grey-blue eyes towards Booth who gazed simply back.

"I was. Why do you ask?" Booth smiled back, his chocolate brown eyes twinkling.

"Tempe here always lamented that she has, as yet, found a match for a shooting competition." Meredith replied, receiving a glare from Temperance.

"Well…I don't know. Bones is very good at what she puts her mind to. But I don't mind having a shoot out competition." Booth agreed slowly. He wasn't so confident at the moment. He had never seen how good Temperance was so he kept being wary.

"Good! Mama and papa are throwing a party today and they wanted Temperance to have fun. It's a pool party and they've invited everyone." Meredith spoke brightly and happily. She was quite certain that this would be quite a competition.

By this time, everyone had woken up and Angela and Izzie wandered out.

"Hey guys…WOAH! Temperance Allegra Brennan! Why didn't you tell me you did gymnastics?!" Angela asked before she spotted the gymnastics gear.

Temperance and Meredith looked sheepishly on the ground as everyone wandered out at Angela's shouting and gathered around the garage, their mouths all open.

"It's all my past. Oh, by the way. Mom and dad are throwing a pool party tonight and you guys all have to be there. Meredith had the great idea that I would verse Booth in an all out shooting competition." Temperance crossed her arms as she looked at her sister pointedly, annoyed that she had to do this.

Everyone in the Jeffersonian team almost fell over while the interns and Derek frowned, all confused at the whole shock factor.

"I used to be an army sniper for 8 years." Booth explained, making their mouths to all form a perfect o shape.

"And Tempe is the national champion in archery and shooting and has been for the past 8 years. She started when she was 6 years old. This is going to be good." Meredith grinned, making Temperance glare before rolling her eyes.

Temperance turned to face everyone else, knowing that Angela would have to have a few words with her about her past, which was so well hidden that things were only unraveling now.

"You are coming upstairs into your room, right now, Bren!" Angela took Temperance's arm and the two of them ran back inside the house, quickly followed by Meredith and Izzie.

The four of them ran upstairs and into Temperance's room before they slammed the door, locking it in the process.

"Ok. I know you are a very difficult person to know what exactly they're thinking but this just takes the cake! You have being doing archery, shooting and gymnastics for how long?" Angela sighed, running her hand through her hair as Temperance watched her best friend rant on from her place on her bed.

"It's been 20 years. I started a lot of thing when I was only 6 years old. It's a thing that runs in the family. We pick and choose what we wanna do at the age of 6. I chose about 15 things." Temperance explained gently. She decided that Angela did need to know all the things she kept hidden.

Angela gaped open mouthed at her best friends like she was a corpse or something really bad on that line.

"20 years! And you never though, for a single minute of college or work at the Jeffersonian, that you'd tell me until now?" Angela tried her best to be calm for her best friend but right now, she was in total shock and that would take a while.

Temperance shrugged before gazed at Meredith and Izzie in the "you-could-help-me-, you-know?" look.

"Angela. Temperance has her reasons for keeping that secret from you and everyone she works with. You know, as well as I do, that she perceives the past as often someone's downfall and she sees it everyday in her day to day work. It's kind of inevitable for her to do this." Meredith reasoned gently, trying to save Temperance from Angela's friendly glare.

Angela huffed, rolling her eyes and pursing her lips before she spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me and this time, Meredith, don't speak for her. I know she's a strong person who kicked a mafia boss." Angela spoke low, irritated that her best friend, the person she suffered college with, never told her so many things.

Temperance took a long breath and exhaled it slowly, knowing she would have to say this sooner or later to someone not in her family and it might as well be Angela.

"It's always been something that I don't like to say, which you as well as everyone else I know, are a long list of things that I keep to myself. So what if I can shoot at a target while diving into a pool? Those things are unimportant if you want to know the real me. They're just side things that might or might not be good to everyone else around me. I come from a family of heirs and heiresses. It's important to keep a secret as long as possible and so far, I'm the only one who can walk to work and never say a thing while working. It's who I am. Ask anyone in my family. They'll tell you exactly the same things. Telling secrets to people I work with, when I know I don't trust them, is not me. Please try to understand me, Angela." Temperance spoke slowly and in a low voice.

Angela sighed before she crushed Temperance in a loving, friendly hug, squealing low when she felt Temperance return the hug.

"I wish you told me earlier, Bren. We after all, college buddies. Hell, you're the reason why I have my job! I'm really sorry that I was so mad at you just then." Angela smiled wide. She owed a lot to Temperance. She felt really bad for yelling at her.

Temperance gently prized Angela away from her, smiling before she spoke.

"Don't be. You have every right to be angry at me, Ange. I should have told you in college. After all, I did tell you about…him." Temperance smiled, faltering as she got to the end.

Angela nodded but Meredith and Izzie looked confused, making Angela happy that she was the only one who knew that secret.

"Who is he?" Meredith placed her hands on her hips as she faced her step sister with a raised eyebrow.

Temperance bit her lip slowly, gazing at a nodding and smiling Angela who knew exactly what the story was because Angela was the one who comforted her when this whole mess began so many years ago.

She took a deep breath and started to speak, dreading the reactions she would get from Meredith and Izzie. Even worse was how the hell she would tell Booth about this.

"It was when I was at Northwestern, completing my masters and moving onto my doctorate. I met Angela at the start of the year and she and I became best friends. The reason why she has a job at the Jeffersonian was the fact that I was there and Dr Goodman told me that we needed a forensic artist. I had a boyfriend before Michael. Dean Taylor, a 3rd year med student. He was everything I wanted in a guy back then. Smart, charming, funny and gallant. We had a year long relationship and at the end of the year, he proposed to me. Me, being the fool I was, accepted readily. I, by that time, already obtained a job at the Jeffersonian and had a steady income and 22 years of age wasn't a bad age to get married and have children. One day, after class, I got back to the apartment we were sharing. I found clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor, bright pink clothes. I knew at once who would be with Dean, fucking him on our bed. Sure enough, I found Dean and Candy Ryan, my enemy at college, fucking each other on the bed, the satin sheeted bed I gave myself to Dean the previous year. I threw Candy out of our bed by her hair, packed my bags and left. The apartment was mine anyway so I got my landlord, who knew me well and we were close friends, to throw Dean out onto the street the following week. I sold me engagement ring and bought a dress and matching shoes. I still have them. Dean begged me to reconsider, that his time with Candy was only one night but I shut him out. I knew otherwise that he wasn't right for me after we go engaged. Something changed for the worse. After that, I threw myself into my work to get where I am now." Temperance explained, her voice wavering dangerously close to bursting into tears at times.

Meredith and Izzie listened closely, both of them understanding why Temperance had only told, at the present moment, only Angela.

"Why didn't you tell mama, papa or even me before?" Meredith asked gently. She was seething with anger at Dean for breaking her sister's heart.

"And what? Yes, mama and papa donated a large amount of money to Northwestern, therefore we held great power over there but, this was my problem. Dean was my fiancé and like it or not, Candy also comes from a high profile family line. Her family owns three of the major oil companies in the world. She ran to her parents after I threw her out by the hair. Mama and papa helped me then but we had a just-help-but- no-say agreement so they don't know either." This was my problem, Merry, and I dealt with it." Temperance flared angrily back. She hated that point in life.

"Candy Fontana Ryan, the heiress to 3 of the major oil companies, was your enemy in Northwestern?" Izzie frowned softly, her platinum blonde hair almost covering her sky blue eyes.

"Yes. Her parents couldn't do a thing once mama and papa got involved. Oil can have a limit but shipping never does. We have very affluent connections which the whole world does not need to know." Temperance spoke meaningfully and thoughtfully, her sapphire blue eyes blazing with determination and something more.

Meredith gazed at her sister with pride and a touch of awe. She loved that Temperance was so forward and Temperance loved that Meredith was so understanding and worldly.

"True. Some things are best left unsaid until such words are needed. Now is not the appropriate time to discuss such matters." Meredith nodded slightly.

The four women trooped downstairs to find Booth and Derek in the kitchen, cooking edible food as everyone else watched, to their great amusement.

"Look, Dr Bones! Daddy's cooking!" Parker shouted happily in his childish innocence as he spotted Temperance walking downstairs.

The four women watched, smiling at the duo's antics before Angela piped up.

"Are you going to make a move on the knight in shining standard issue FBI body amour or can I take him? 'Cause I will and I might steal McDreamy away from you too, Mer." Angela raised her eyebrows suggestively, making everyone laugh.

"I have worked hard to love Derek as my own. No, Ange. He's mine." Meredith smiled wide with joy and pride. She knew Angela was joking and that gave her comfort.

Derek and Booth spotted the four women, both grinning proudly when they saw the objects of their affections smiling and laughing.

"They're so beautiful." Derek smiled wide as he and Booth leaned on the counter at exactly the same time and similarly.

"Amen. I wouldn't trade them for the world." Booth agreed, his fixed on Temperance's flushed face. He loved her, especially now.

The two men walked up stealth fully and kissed the on they loved on the cheek, sending the twin sisters to jump sky high with the shock.

"Derek!"

"Booth!"

The two men grinned at each other when they saw the stunned and shocked looks on the girls' faces. It was a cheeky but that the hell? You only lived once.

Temperance shot her partner a half-hearted glare. She could never be truly angry at him for doing something so childish with Derek.

Temperance half-heartedly punched Booth on the shoulder, rolling her eyes at him as he gave her a puppy-dog look in return.

"Sooky baby." Temperance replied with a smile nudging on her lips.

Everyone laughed when Booth continued to give Temperance a pouty look as she turned away, mostly to stop herself from laughing.

Eventually, she gave in and laughed along with the rest of them, making Booth and all her team to gaze in shock at her musical and carefree laugh.

"Bones…" Booth was the first to speak, not at all trusting his voice.

Temperance smiled at him before raising her eyebrows to question.

"You were laughing…" Booth replied finally, berating himself about how stupid his own words sounded out of his mouth but he knew that Temperance trusted him the most to give her a straight forward answer.

"So?" Temperance asked lightly. She didn't mind that Booth's question was weird. She was just glad that he asked the question because she trusted him with her life.

"You never laugh at anything, that's all." Booth finally spoke. He knew that Temperance was always going to listen to his words, no matter how they sounded to anyone around them.

Meredith gazed worriedly at her twin sister who smiled even wider.

"I am different at work. You have to be if you want to survive." Temperance replied simply as she ruffled Parker's blonde curls affectionately.

Booth nodded and smiled. He was comfortable with that explanation, for now. He knew that she wasn't the most open person but he was patient. Besides, she was bonding extremely well with Parker so that had to be a good sign.

"What are you doing today?" Meredith asked her twin sister as everyone sat down to eat breakfast of pancakes which Izzie made.

"Angela and I might go down to the mall and pick up some clothes for the pool party or we could go into your room. I don't know about everyone else. I just want to relax today and my publisher is going to kill me if I don't get my book finished." Temperance smiled back, spreading honey over the small butter lump on top of her pile of blueberry pancakes.

"When she realizes who you are, not even heaven will stop mom and dad's wrath." Meredith replied with a wide smile, relaxing in Derek's arms.

Temperance laughed again, trying not to choke on her pancakes.

"Leanne will die either way. She told me over the phone, when I told her that I had to go to Seattle for family business, that she would publish an autobiography because I kept on dropping massive bombshells of shocking information onto her." Temperance finally replied, swallowing deeply on her orange juice to prevent herself from choking.

"Well, you shock everyone with the amount of hidden bombshells you drop, especially us." Angela pointed out; sprinkling chocolate flakes on her pancakes and watching them melt because of the heat.

"That's true. Sorry about that…" Temperance shot Angela her best puppy dog look, making Angela smile wide before hugging her.

"That's OK, Bren. Everyone deserves to have secrets, especially you. As long as you say you're sorry and mean it, that's ok." Angela nodded before releasing Temperance so they could resume eating breakfast.

After breakfast, it was time for Meredith, Izzie, George and Derek to go to work.

"I'll see y'all at the pool party." Meredith smiled, giving her sister a kiss.

The four of them drove in Meredith's SUV to get to Seattle Grace Hospital.

"I'll see you later." Derek smiled as he gave Meredith a gently yet passionate kiss.

"Mmm." Meredith replied, smiling at the kiss and everything she has accomplished this morning with Temperance and Angela.

George, Izzie and Meredith had barely entered the intern locker room when Cristina approached them, a frenzied look on her face.

"Thank god! Mer! Come with me!" Cristina instantly pulled Meredith inside the sleeping room, locking the door behind them.

"Whoa! Where's the major surgery?" Meredith raised her eyebrows, gazing at Cristina with concern as she started to pace.

Cristina continued to pace before she stopped and gazed at Meredith.

"You cannot tell McDreamy about what I'm going to tell you now because he's Burke's friend and Burke will be hurt if I don't tell him directly… Oh god, oh god, oh god!" Cristina blurted, wringing her hands in anxiety.

"Ok! Ok! Tell me, Cristina." Meredith practically yelled. She was stunned. She had never seen Cristina this nervous.

"I'mamom." Cristina spoke rapidly, almost confusing Meredith. Almost.

"What? Are you pregnant again? Because I can't cope with Rory's death, let alone this." Meredith frowned deeply.

"No! I would've said that I'm **going to be a mom** if that was the case." Cristina corrected herself, getting gradually calmer.

"You have a kid…" Meredith spoke, a question more than a realization.

"So sue me. I have an 11-year-old teenage girl by the name of Cathryn Joan Yang. Here's a photo of her." Cristina handed a photo from her purse to Meredith, a photo that was obviously cherished by Cristina.

Meredith gazed at the picture of an Asian girl with slightly wavy black hair, brightly lit extremely dark brown eyes and a beautiful and genuine smile.

"This was taken last year. Cathy's with mom and my step dad up in Beverley Hills in San Francisco. She sends me emails every week, how she's dying to be a vet and how she wants to come down here and see me…" Cristina explained, taking the photo back.

"But you haven't told Burke about Cathy and you have no idea how to go about telling him that you already have a kid. What about this? Cathy comes over but she stays at my place? No one would mind and George and Izzie can keep their mouths shut, as well as Derek. How good is Cathy with kids?" Meredith suggested lightly.

"She would be a teacher if she couldn't go into veterinary. Why?" Cristina replied proudly. She was always proud of her daughter.

"Because Booth has a kid, Parker and he's staying with us. If I can get Temper and Booth together, we can have a double wedding and Tempe will be Parker's stepmom." Meredith explained, a smile growing as she spoke.

"Cathryn can do that. I want to tell Burke so I can enroll her into a school here. Don't worry; my parents are going to pay for it." Cristina nodded brightly. She was so glad that Meredith could solve her dilemma.

The two of them walked out of the room with matching smiles.

"Oh, that reminds me. Mom and dad are holding a pool party after work. Everyone's going to be there. You an invite Burke if you want. There's dinner provided and Tempe and Booth are going to have a shoot off." Meredith informed Cristina just as they spotted the other with Dr Bailey.

"Sure, I'll be there. I'll tell Burke once I see him." Cristina agreed. She was secretly excited about the pool party, especially the shoot off.

For the remainder of the day, Meredith had an awesome day. She was assigned to Derek for the day and the couple went around to the various neurology patients, further cementing her passion for neurosurgery.

They arrived at their normal place for lunch and found that there was no one there. Not that they really cared.

Ten minutes later, everyone else appeared with their lunch and bored looks on their faces as they sat down to enjoy their lunch.

"What happened to you guys?" Meredith rose an eyebrow as she ate her spaghetti Bolognese she had requested Temperance to make for her in the morning.

"Nothing. There were no surgeries. No nothing." Callie replied dryly. She had been accepted into the group since she was George's girlfriend and Meredith had convinced Izzie to be civil. The pair had found a lot in common and became close friends ever since. It was kind of hard why they didn't think of it earlier.

"Today has been the single most draining day ever." Cristina yawned before someone's pager beeped loudly to alert their owner of their presence.

After rapid fumbling, they saw that the offending pager belonged to Meredith.

Everyone gazed at her as her smile slowly disappeared and a look of panic replaced it.

Meredith hastily packed up her lunchbox, snatched it up and ran back inside the hospital, prompting her friends and Derek to follow her.

After 5 minutes of running, they finally reached a room with a 50-ish woman with long, flowing dark brown hair and emerald green eyes, filled with tears as she gripped the hand of a man lying unconscious on the hospital bed.

As soon as the woman saw Meredith, she let got of the man's hand and flung herself in Meredith's arms, sobbing.

"Oh Meredith!" The woman choked out, tears seeping into Meredith's scrubs.

"Deanna…I'm so sorry…" Meredith comforted the woman as best as she could but everyone could see her barely concealed tears.

Something clicked inside of Derek's mind as the name Deanna registered. He knew exactly who was on the hospital bed and why both women were as distraught as they were.

Suddenly, Jesse and Ellis entered the hospital room, both with stunned looks on their faces, horrified that something tragic had happened to them.

"Jesse…Ellis. You shouldn't have come…" Deanna gazed painfully at her husband's ex-wife and her new husband.

"No…I owe it to Thatcher, to both of you, really. You two helped out when we were in trouble. Now, it's time to return the favor" Ellis shook her head sadly, trying hard to conceal her tears.

Deanna gave Ellis and Jesse a watery smile as she moved to hug the couple.

"Thank you." Deanna whispered softly as she let the tears flow.

"No, thank you. You have been looking after the kids to well, not to mention your own children." Jesse kissed the side of Deanna's cheek affectionately.

The three of them talked while Meredith, Derek and their friends watched with a small smile on their faces.

"What happened to Thatcher, Deanna?" Ellis asked after a while of talking.

Deanna took a shuddering breath, smiling when Meredith nodded. Everyone loved Meredith dearly for how supportive she was to them.

"Thatcher and I had just come from Boston to see Tempe and her team. We're worried about her as well and we heard that you found Rory. Anyway, we were driving to the hospital from the airport when…when a black car ran a red light and slammed into us, critically damaging the driver's side. Thatcher was driving after…after I said I was tired! I can't forgive myself for this!" Deanna took shuddering breaths as she recounted the story, glad that both Ellis and Jesse were with her to help her get through this turbulent time.

Ellis enveloped Deanna into a comforting, 100 genuinely concerned hug. She and Deanna were exceptionally close friends, as close as blood sisters and anyone who gazed at the pair of them would say the same.

"Deanna, there was nothing you could have done to prevent this. The world is not something we can control." Ellis soothed her best friend as she cried for her husband, lying on the hospital bed next to her.

Meredith, Derek and their friends took their leave, Meredith kissing Jesse, Ellis, Deanna and Thatcher on the cheeks before leaving.

Once they walked out of sight and sound of the four, Meredith's shoulder started to heave, making Derek instantly envelop her in his arms.

"Why does this happen to me, Derek? I've already lost dad once before. He had his faults but he and Deanna still love me. Our family has 2 moms and 2 dads, even our youngest siblings…Oh my god, this will hurt Tempe so much, I know it! She's closer to Deanna and Thatcher than I am. She doesn't need another knife in her heart." Meredith sobbed angrily as Derek did his best to comfort her.

3 hours later, they returned to work as normally as they could. Obviously, Meredith was still shell shocked about the accident involving her father and her stepmother that left her father in a coma.

It wasn't long before Bailey noticed something was up with Meredith and she sought her out. Thankfully, she was with Derek on the ceiling of Seattle Grace, trying not to cry but failing miserably.

As soon as Meredith spotted Dr Bailey, she ran and hugged her. What startled Derek even more was the fact that Bailey didn't even hesitate, like she normally would do, as she returned the hug.

"Oh Dr Bailey!" Meredith sobbed as Bailey did her best to comfort her.

"Shush child. What's the matter, hmm?" Bailey replied with a gentle look that most people would never see and no one ever associated with the 'Nazi'.

Meredith sniffed as she gazed at Bailey with puffy eyes and jewel like tears in her haunting grey-blue eyes.

"Dad's here…with a coma, auntie." Meredith explained, even more tears rolling out of her eyes onto her already tear drenched face.

Derek got the impression that there was many folds in Meredith's life that were, quite frankly, extremely hard to explain properly.

Bailey's face instantly morphed into one of shock and sympathy as she gazed once more at Meredith, something Derek had never seen before.

"Oh sweetie! You parents must be devastated, not to mention Deanna. You be brave for them, won't you? Tempe should be told about this." Bailey soothed as she stroked Meredith's honey blonde hair gently.

Meredith nodded in reply. Her problem now was how she would tell Tempe.

Derek, Meredith and Bailey walked down to the interns' locker room, Bailey and Derek talking about things that, they hoped, would keep Meredith's mind off her comatose father in a hospital bed.

They continued to talk until Meredith and Derek's shifts were over. Luckily, none of the trio was paged during the 30 minutes, which, they suspected, was due to the notification of the news to the chief.

Meredith, Derek and their friends went back home in the SUV, changing into their bathers and drove to Jesse and Ellis' mansion.

"No one is to mention anything about mom and dad to Tempe. She needs to hear it from me or otherwise, I know she'll be so hurt." Meredith informed everyone as soon as they reached the gates of Tesla mansion.

Everyone nodded. They knew that it they were in that situation, they would be the most grateful if a family member told them.

They found the team from the Jeffersonian and Parker near the pool, laughing about things. They saw Cristina and Burke there as well, both of them relaxed as they talked to Angela and Jack about all kinds of things.

"Hey Mer! How was your day?" Temperance rushed over to her sister, a wide smile gracing her lips and her sapphire blue eyes sparkling.

"Excellent! There were some really amazing surgeries today. You should really come!" Meredith smiled as best as she could, a smile that she knew Temperance would believe as she had used this exact smile many times before.

The hours ticked by fast. Booth and Temperance had 6 draws in their shoot-off. Temperance even demonstrated her jump into a pool and shoot trick, hitting the bulls eye every single time, making Parker shout happily.

After dinner, Meredith and Temperance decided to take a walk about Tesla mansion to enjoy the night air.

"What a beautiful night." Temperance breathed softly, her sapphire blue eyes sparkling brightly as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Yes…it is." Meredith replied wistfully, sitting down on a marble chair that faced the pool and all its beautiful surroundings.

The two sisters watched the stars twinkling, enjoying the view as they said nothing.

"Tempe…please listen to me about what I have to tell you now." Meredith started to speak, tears reappearing in her eyes as she played with the hem of her shirt.

"Ok…" Temperance replied cautiously.

"I saw dad today, as well as Deanna. They were in the hospital. They're here because they wanted to see you but…something happened to them. Tempe, I don't know how to say it but…Deanna and dad was involved in a car accident and now…now dad's in a coma, lying in Seattle Grace." Meredith spoke softly, tears making their way down her face and splashing onto her shirt.

Temperance was silent as she closed her eyes, trying to absorb her sister's words. She didn't want to believe those words but…

"You're lying! You're…you're playing a game with me, just like Booth does!" Temperance gasped, tears appearing in her eyes, hastily standing up from her seat.

"Tempe! Oh Tempe! I wish I was! I really wish I was! But, you know I can't lie to you, not ever! It's true! Mom and dad aren't here because they're at the hospital with daddy and Deanna…I'm sorry!" Meredith screamed, tears falling rapidly for the 3rd time for her today.

At Meredith's words, Derek and Booth ran to find the two women, tears drenching their faces as they were in a tight hug, pain clear in their faces.

"Why did daddy have to be the one hurt? He's so nice, so happy!" Temperance sobbed as Booth helped her up and hugged her.

"I don't know, Bones. I'm so sorry." Booth whispered, trying to calm her down as Derek did the same with Meredith close by.

When it was time for everyone to leave, no one spoke. They heard what happened while the news was broken to Temperance.

Booth comforted Temperance all the way home, Parker helping the best he could. Booth helped her out of the car, tucking Parker in to bed before helping Temperance into her own room.

As he turned to leave, Temperance grasped his arm.

"Don't leave me too, Booth." Temperance whispered hoarsely, making Booth wince at the pain in her words.

Booth nodded, taking off his clothes save his singlet and his boxers before sliding into bed with Temperance, holding her like he would with Parker when he got too scared. He wished this had happened in better circumstances, lying in bed with Temperance and watching her as she slept.

_Some day._ Booth thought to himself before he slept.


End file.
